Breakfast Supreme -- The First Ramp Plate of Spring

Spring 2024 and the food forest was entering its second full growing season on the land. The persimmon trees had put on another two feet of growth. The hazelnuts were spreading wide and would need to be managed soon to keep them from shading each other out. One of the pawpaw trees had died over winter—the nursery had warned me this was possible—and I replaced it with two new ones, planted slightly differently to improve drainage.

Kai came out every Saturday through April, ostensibly to help but also, I think, because the land had become his land in the way that it becomes the land of whoever spends time working it. He knows the names of the trees now without having to think. He can tell you which pawpaw is which by its leaf shape, which persimmon is early and which is late, where the hazelnut is spreading fastest. He's eleven and already has a relationship with a piece of ground that most adults never develop with any ground at all.

I put in new garden beds this spring—expanded from last year, adding a dedicated bean bed and a larger section for the summer squash that had done so well last year. Kai and I planted on a Saturday in late April, working through the morning while the light was still cool. We didn't talk much. That's when you know the work has become real—when you can do it together without filling the silence.

Made ramps again when the season came, first from the creek on the land, earlier than last year. Sautéed them simply, over eggs, which is my standard first-ramp-of-season preparation. The whole first plate is the announcement that spring has actually arrived and winter is done. I ate it standing at the barn fire and felt exactly right.

That first ramp plate of the season—eaten standing at the barn fire—wanted more than a simple sauté. It wanted something substantial enough to hold the weight of the moment, the whole winter behind it and the whole growing season ahead. This Breakfast Supreme is what I keep coming back to when the ramps are in and the morning still has that cool, new-light quality that won’t last long. It’s not a precious dish. It’s the kind of thing you make when the work is real and the hunger is honest.

Breakfast Supreme

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 lb bulk breakfast sausage
• 1 cup diced red bell pepper
• 1 cup diced green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup diced yellow onion
• 1/2 cup ramp bulbs and greens, roughly chopped (or scallions out of season)
• 2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes, thawed
• 6 large eggs
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions

1. Brown the sausage. In a large cast-iron or heavy skillet over medium-high heat, cook the sausage, breaking it into crumbles, until browned and cooked through, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer to a plate, leaving drippings in the pan.
2. Cook the vegetables. Add the bell peppers, onion, and ramps to the skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to color at the edges, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the potatoes. Stir in the hash browns and smoked paprika. Press into an even layer and let cook undisturbed for 3–4 minutes until the bottom crisps, then stir and cook another 2 minutes.
4. Return the sausage. Stir the cooked sausage back into the skillet and distribute evenly across the pan.
5. Add the eggs. Whisk the eggs with the milk, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Add the butter to the pan and let it melt, then pour the egg mixture over everything. Cook, gently folding with a spatula, until the eggs are just set but still slightly glossy, about 3–4 minutes.
6. Finish with cheese. Scatter the cheddar over the top, remove from heat, and cover the pan for 1 minute to let the cheese melt. Serve immediately, straight from the skillet.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 420 | Protein: 24g | Fat: 28g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 680mg