Spring is here, and it’s one of our favorite times of the year in Michigan – not only for the warmer weather, but for the return of a bounty of fresh, locally-grown produce.

Delicious morsels of the season will be highlighted during our Local Roots Spring Evening Dining event, held May 12 – but this time, we’ll have two new twists: For the first time ever, the Local Roots dinner will be held in our gorgeous Lovett Hall, and we’ll showcase a variety of delicious Michigan-grown wines from northern Michigan’s 2 Lads Winery to complement the fresh spring dishes of our Local Roots dishes.

If you haven’t tried one of the many delicious varietals created by Michigan wine makers, here are  just a few impressive facts about our state’s wine-making industry from the Michigan Grape and Wine Industry Council:

• Michigan is the fourth largest grape producing state in the country, with more than 14,600 acres of vineyards
• Two thousand acres are devoted strictly to wine-producing grapes, placing Michigan eighth in wine production volume in the country
• Over 80% of grapes produced for wine making in Michigan are grown within 25 miles of Lake Michigan, where the “lake effect” protects vines with snow in winter and channels warm west winds that help extend the growing season into late September
• Michigan has four federally-recognized “appellations,” or areas by which wines can claim respective authenticity to style and production (kind of like copyrights): Lake Michigan Shore, Leelanau Peninsula, Old Mission Peninsula (home to 2 Lads Winery) and Fennville

The wines alone are tempting, but of course, Local Roots Spring Evening Dining is about the food – and our chefs have been working hard to create an exciting and delicious menu for you. To get you prepared for the event, how about a little taste of one of the recipes from our six-course menu?

Michigan potato potage with morels and ramps is a warming, hearty soup that’s enough to keep the last chill of winter away while highlighting spring’s early arrivals. Morels (a type of mushroom) add depth and flavor, while ramps resemble a scallion and are a unique vegetable in the same family as garlic and onions, though milder than both. Ramps can be hard to find, so feel free to use leeks as a substitute.

Give it a try at home, then join us on May 12 for Local Roots Spring Evening Dining – we’re looking forward to seeing you there!

Michigan Potato Potage with Morels and Ramps

(Serves four as a meal, six as a starter course)

24-30 ramps (sold in bundles) or 3 leeks, whites only

6 medium to large potatoes

3 cups water

3 cups good chicken stock

Morel mushrooms, to taste

Salt

White pepper

Unsalted butter

1 cup crème fraîche

In a stock pot with lid, melt ½ stick of butter over medium heat. Meanwhile, slice ramps/leeks to make thin coins (whites only!) and reserve greens of ramps/leeks.

Add sliced ramps/leeks to melted butter and sweat until softened and translucent; do not brown.

Peel potatoes and dice into ½-inch cubes.

After ramps are soft, add potatoes, water and chicken stock. Cover pot.

Bring to a boil, add salt and white pepper to taste and reduce to simmer for 30 minutes.

In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, add knob of butter and melt. Chop as many morels as you’d like and increase heat until butter is frothy. Sear chopped morels for 2-3 minutes, or until butter browns and morels are caramelized slightly. Take off heat and reserve.

Whisk crème fraîche into potage and remove from heat. Using an immersion blender (stick blender), puree soup until creamy. Finish with a knob of butter and mix until melted. Adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Return to low heat.

In the sauté pan used to sear the morels, add more butter, take a few of the ramps/leeks greens you reserved and wilt under medium heat.

Add spoonful of seared morels to serving bowls and ladle soup over, garnishing with wilted ramps/leeks greens.