• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Girl With The Iron Cast
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
  • Shop
  • Contact Me
    • Privacy Policy
  • Navigation Menu: Social Icons

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
menu icon
go to homepage
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Shop
  • Contact Me
    • Subscribe to my newsletter!
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
  • Follow GWTIC on Social Media!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • Home
    • Recipes
    • About Me
    • Shop
    • Contact Me
      • Subscribe to my newsletter!
      • Privacy Policy
      • Disclaimer
  • Follow GWTIC on Social Media!

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Fiddlehead Ramp Cheese Tart

    Fiddlehead Ramp Cheese Tart

    April 19, 2019

    103 shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    This fiddlehead and ramp cheese tart screams spring. Fiddleheads and ramps may only be around for a short season, so make sure you get your hands on some to make this delicious fiddlehead ramp cheese tart recipe!

    overhead shot of a square puff pastry cheese tart with roasted fiddleheads, ramps with a piece cut out on a metal wire rack

    What are fiddleheads?

    mesh bowl of trimmed fiddlehead ferns

    Fiddleheads are the furled fronds of young ferns and are harvested as vegetables. They are grown in the northeast so to all my Florida readers, I had no idea what they were either. Living in South Florida I never thought I would ever get my hands on some, so when I saw them at my local market I obviously caused a scene.

    pot of water with fiddlehead ferns floating at the top

    Can I forage for them myself? They are rich in omega-3/6’s, antioxidants, and fiber. You want to ensure you cook them fully due to microbes that could be present. If you are foraging for them yourself in the northeast please educate due to certain species being toxic [so better safe to just get them in the grocery store].

    How to prepare fiddleheads: I clean them throughly scrubbing off the brown papery bits and then you are going to boil them for 15 minutes to ensure they get cooked through. Even if you wanted to just simply sauté them, still boil them down.

    What are ramps?

    bunch of wild ramps tied together on a wooden cutting board

    Another fun spring vegetable is ramps! Ramps are hard to describe… they taste to me like a garlicky scallion, but in a delicate way. Ramps are also one of the first harvested vegetables when spring first starts. Much like the fiddleheads, the season is short so they are also hard to find.

    chopped up ramps on a wooden cutting board

    How to prepare ramps: Ramps need to be cleaned throughly as well, I mean hello they were just chillin in the dirt.

    Once you have throughly cleaned them, you can actually utilize the entire plant for cooking, but for this recipe I just used the bulbs and some of the leaves. If the leaves are tough or brown, cut those off along with the roots.

    Puff pastry dough

    puff pastry on a baking sheet with holes poked all over

    You can totally make your own puff pastry dough, but frozen store bought is quick and easy. Let it defrost before unraveling it, place it on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or silicone, stab holes in it, and bake for 10 minutes.

    What cheese to use

    shot of shredded gruyere  and fontina cheeses on a cutting board, a cheese grater, and measuring cup on a wooden cutting board

    While the puff pastry is getting a pre-cook and your fiddleheads are still boiling, time to grate some cheese. I chose fontina and gruyere because of their flavors and textures. Fontina is a soft cheese with buttery and nutty notes and gruyere is harder, but has a salty nutty flavor. They both also melt beautifully.

    a overhead shot of shredded cheese mixed with eggs in a white bowl

    You’re going to mix the cheeses with two egg yolks, a few tablespoons of milk, salt, pepper, and I added a pinch of cinnamon.

    overhead shot of cheese mixture spread over the puff pastry on a baking sheet

    Remove the puff pastry from the oven and spread your cheese mixture leaving about ½in-1in from the sides. Once your fiddleheads are done boiling, I put them in cold water to stop the cooking process, then I tossed them + the ramps in a little olive oil and salt/pepper.

    overhead shot of fiddlehead ferns and ramps spread over the puff pastry and cheese on a baking sheet

    Arrange your toppings on the tart and put it in the oven for 15 minutes or until the edges are slightly browned.

    overhead half shot of cooked puff pastry cheese tart with roasted fiddlehead ferns and ramps on parchment paper

    When you take it out you have a delicious cheesy and flakey tart topped with spring fiddleheads and ramps!

    What if I can’t find fiddleheads? Note: I know its difficult to find fiddleheads in certain parts of the US so you can also try this recipe using asparagus! Instead of boiling for 15 minutes, just quickly blanch them in the boiling water for 5.

    overhead shot of cooked puff pastry cheese tart with roasted fiddlehead ferns and ramps on a metal rack

    Fiddlehead Ramp Cheese Tart

    Fiddlehead, ramp, and cheese tart with gruyere and fontina cheese over puff pastry.
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: cheese tart, fiddleheads, fontina, gruyere, puff pastry, ramps
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes
    Total Time: 50 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 666kcal
    Author: Stephanie

    Equipment

    • All Clad Stock Pot
    • Williams Sonoma Goldtouch® Corrugated Nonstick Half Sheet Pan
    • Parchment Baking Sheets

    Ingredients

    • 4 ounces fiddleheads cleaned and prepped (see instructions below)
    • 4 stalks ramps cleaned and roots removed, roughly chopped
    • 1 sheet frozen puff pastry ½ pound, defrosted
    • 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
    • 1 cup shredded fontina cheese
    • 2 egg yolks
    • 3 tablespoons whole milk
    • Small pinch cinnamon
    • 2 teaspoons olive oil
    • ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

    Instructions

    • Prepping fiddleheads: Under cold running water, thoroughly wash the fiddleheads, rubbing them to remove any brown papery substance, and ensure to get in the crevices of the stem. Rinse them until all dirt is removed. Pat dry with a paper towel. Using a pairing knife, cut off the dark ended stems.
    • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
    • In a small pot of boiling water, add the fiddleheads and allow them to cook for 15 minutes. Remove from the boiling water and add to an ice bath to discontinue the cooking. (Ice bath: small bowl with a handful of ice cubes filled with water). Dump out the water, add the ramps in with the fiddleheads, the 2 tsp of olive oil, salt/ pepper, toss to coat and set aside.
    • While the fiddleheads are boiling, unravel the defrosted puff pastry and place on a lined baking sheet (you can use silicone mat or parchment paper). Using a fork, poke holes in the puff pastry, then place in the oven for 10 minutes. Remove.
    • In a small bowl, add the gruyere, fontina, 2 egg yolks, milk, pinch of cinnamon and mix together until combined. Spread onto the puff pastry, leaving ½ inch border on all the sides. Top with the fiddleheads and ramps, then cook in the oven for 15-20 minutes or until the edges begin to brown and cheese is melted. Remove from the oven, slice into squares, and serve!

    Notes

    • It is very important to thoroughly clean the fiddleheads and do not skip the boiling process.
    • When boiling the fiddleheads the water may darken if any residue is left behind.
    • You can substitute the fiddleheads with asparagus, if doing so you only need to blanch for 5 minutes instead of the 15 min.
     

    Nutrition

    Calories: 666kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 26g | Fat: 49g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 173mg | Sodium: 661mg | Potassium: 217mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 1805IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 556mg | Iron: 2mg
    Made this recipe?Mention @GirlWithTheIronCast or tag #girlwiththeironcast!
    « Vegetarian Enchiladas Verdes
    Honey Roasted Coriander Carrots »
    103 shares

    Originally Published: April 19, 2019 Post Updated: November 16, 2022 Filed Under: American, Appetizer, Baking, Breakfast, Recipes, Spring Delights, Vegetarian Tagged With: Fiddleheads, Ramps

    Subscribe to my newsletter!

    Reader Interactions

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Winter Comfort

    white skillet with gnocchi, butternut squash, kale, and hot italian sausage surrounded by fresh sage and thyme

    Sausage and Kale Butternut Squash Gnocchi

    serving platter with halved potatoes and roasted duck breast ad duck legs on top

    Whole Roasted Duck Over Potatoes

    apple cider donuts covered in cinnamon sugar on a cooling rack

    Apple Cider Donuts

    roasted red pepper soup with pistou swirl and grilled cheese croutons

    Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

    close up of macaroni and cheese with crispy prosciutto on top

    Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

    bowl of chicken soup with dumplings and fresh sage leaves

    Chicken and Dumpling Soup

    More Winter Recipes...

    Footer

    Follow GWTIC on Social Media!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Me
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclaimer
    • Terms of Use

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact GWTIC

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2020 Brunch Pro on the Brunch Pro Theme