Prairie Grass Cafe Ramps It Up for Earth Day - Serves Complimentary River Valley Ranch Mushroom Soup at Lunch Today

Northbrook's Prairie Grass Cafe (601 Skokie Blvd., Northbrook, 847-205-4433) will be offering its lunch customer complimentary house-made River Valley Ranch Mushroom Soup today in honor of Earth Day. The soup normally sells for $5.50. Sarah Stegner and George Bumbaris, chefs/co-owners at Prairie Grass Cafe showcase various types of organic, local mushrooms. "We buy our Button and Portobello mushrooms from farmer Eric Rose of River Valley Ranch in Burlington, Wisconsin, as they are a Certified Organic Farm and the oldest mushroom farm in the Midwest," Sarah says. "All crops are grown without pesticides or chemicals. We connected with them through the Green City Market. The combination of mushrooms makes the best mushroom soup. It's truly delicious." The Prairie Grass Cafe menu also will be featuring ramps starting tomorrow. Chefs Stegner and Bumbaris have provide their recipe using ramps from Tim Burton of Burton's Maplewood Farm. Guest will be able to enjoy the Ramp Crustini with Ramp Butter during ramp season. Says Stegner, " I always know that Spring has finally sprung when the ramps come in season." Let's hope she's right. Sarah Stegner Photo by Grant Kessler Prairie Grass Cafe Ramp Crustini with Ramp Butter By George Bumbaris and Sarah Stegner Ingredients: 1# of wild ramps ( I use Burton Farms from Indiana) 1 Tbsp + ¼ cup olive oil (separated) Salt ½ cup sweet butter (softened) 8 slices of baguette - sliced on the bias, 4-5 inches long each Method: Cook the ramps: Take about 10 to 20 ramps depending on the size. Clean them very well. Divide the ramps into 3 parts: the bulb, the stem and the greens into three separate parts.  At the very beginning of the season you  may need to only divide them into 2 parts the top greens from the bottom stem.  Blanch the stems and bulb in boiling salted water for a few minutes.  Heat a medium size saute pan over high heat, add a 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Put chopped up tops of the ramps into the pan along with the blanched stems and bulbs.  Cook until tender and season well with salt.  If they pick up a little charred color that can taste good too. Make the ramp butter: Place ½ cup of the cooked ramps in a blender with ¼ cup olive oil, 1/8 cup of water and a pinch of salt.  Puree well.  Fold the pureed ramps into the softened butter. : Spread some of the ramp butter onto a slice of baguette.  Toast in the oven until hot and bubbly.  The butter will be vibrant green.  Add the remaining cooked ramps over the top and eat!  Prairie Grass Cafe Ramp Crustini with Ramp Butter