While ramps get all the Greenmarket glory this time of year, green garlic (a.k.a. spring garlic, young garlic, and baby garlic) is no slouch in the pungent-flavor department. The stinky stalks with their undeveloped cloves pack a slightly mellower punch that works nicely in soups, pastas, and sauces. Fold it into a simple spread like the one below and you’ll have your guests popping Altoids in no time.

Green-Garlic- and-Fromage-Blanc Crostini
3 or 4 stalks of green garlic
8 oz. fromage blanc
salt and pepper to taste
1 baguette
extra-virgin olive oil

(Photo: Carina Salvi. Illustration by John Burgoyne.)

Preheat oven to 400. Trim away most of the leafy greens from the garlic, keeping about an inch of the lower green attached to the shoot. Trim away the root end of each shoot and peel off any remaining tough outer layers. Clean, dry, and (1) mince the garlic. (2) In a medium bowl, mix the minced garlic with the fromage blanc. Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside. Cut baguette into thin slices. Brush both sides of each baguette slice with olive oil, arrange on cookie sheet, and toast in oven until golden brown. Remove toast from oven, (3) spread green-garlic-fromage-blanc mixture onto the toast, and serve.

Related:

• Archive: “In Season”
• Articles by Robin Raisfeld | Rob Patronite
• Table of Contents: May 29, 2006 issue of New York | Subscribe!