At what point do we all start getting indignant about turning on an oven? At what point do the words meatballs and braise sound too heavy and hot to bear even listening to just because the warmth outside has climbed beyond our collective comfort zone?

I've never been one to not cook because it’s too hot outside. Not sure if you remember, but I had my oven ripping during a heatwave at the end of August in name of pulled pork for dinner. It was so hot in my kitchen that whipping cream refused to whip and these baked peaches had some very lackluster cream drizzle as their garnish. In actuality it was way too hot to have my oven going that day. But that was at the end of August --- very different from these end of spring chilly mornings.

I, for one, have had no problem packing these babies up these past chilly mornings. To top it off, I don’t know about your offices, but mine borders on arctic level temperatures most days. It’s nice sometimes to inhale something comforting and warming after spending the morning with numb fingertips.

I’d also like to think of them as a transition food. They could be considered winter fare for sure. But that springy dollop of ramp ricotta folded into the meat mix not only keeps them moist but adds a fresh spring spin on something normally considered hearty.

While I nestled these little nuggets among some sturdy kale, they would be just as tasty on a bed of fresh baby spinach leaves which would really lighten the meal up to spring standards. Truthfully, they would also easily fit in among some red sauce --- spaghetti and meatball status, but that brings up unwanted memories of harsh winter weather, which I am desperately trying to forget.

Let’s dismiss that from our minds together and focus on all of the ramps, and peas, and spinach, and rhubarb this spring has brought us!

Ramp Ricotta Meatballs

with garlicky braised kale

Ingredients:

1 egg, beaten

¼ cup almond flour or oats

½ cup leftover roasted ramp ricotta (recipe can be found within here)

salt and pepper

1 pound ground meat

olive oil for frying

2 bunches kale, chopped into 1-inch pieces (approximately 6 cups)

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup chicken stock

¼ cup shredded parmesan

dash of butter

red pepper flakes, if desired

Directions:

(Recipe for ramp ricotta can be found within this recipe)

In a large bowl, mix beaten egg, almond flour, ramp ricotta, and salt and pepper until well combined. Add in the ground meat and begin to gently incorporate until well combined. Take care not to overwork the meat, let’s keep it tender up in here.

Roll tablespoonfuls of the meat mix into golf ball sized meatballs. You should get about 25 balls out of this.

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Once the meatballs have been rolled, heat olive oil in a medium to large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot enough, begin browning meatballs one small batch at a time. Brown the meatballs on all sides and set on a paper-towel lined plate to drain. Continue in batches until all meatballs are browned. Set aside.

Immediately add kale to the same pan. You may have to do this in batches as kale wilts down. Toss to coat in olive oil and meat fat. Salt and pepper to taste. Once kale has wilted down a bit, make a space in the middle of the skillet and add in minced garlic. Saute until fragrant and then mix into the kale. Add the cup of chicken broth, butter, and the parmesan. Stir. Season to taste, add pepper flakes here if desired.

Remove skillet from heat and nestle those little meatballs into the kale mix. Garnish with a bit more parm if desired and then throw into the oven to braise for about 15 minutes. Serve.

Serves 4 to 6