Ramp-ed up Cardoons

Ingredients

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  5 pounds cardoons, (2 pounds trimmed)
  
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  1 pound ramps
  
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  3 ounces pancetta, thinly sliced and cooked very crispy
  
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  3 tablespoons chopped parsley
  
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  1 lemon sliced
  
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  3 tablespoons finely grated asiago
  
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  3 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
  
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  1 teaspoon butter
  
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  2 cups bechamel but maybe less
  

Directions

1. Trim the cardoons, Remove all the leaves. With a peeler, peel the stalk to remove all the strings. They will look like stalks of celery. As you finish trimming each stalk, put it in a bowl of water with lemon juice .
2. Cut into 4 inch pieces and put into a large pot of boiling water.
3. Lower the heat and cook the cardoons for 15 minutes.
4. Grate the asiago.
5. Chop the parsley very fine.
6. Strain the cardoons. When cool arrange them in an oven proof casserole that has been buttered.
7. Sprinkle the parsley on top the the cardoons.
8. Arrange the crumbled pancetta on top of the parsley.
9. Sprinkle the asiago on top of the pancetta.
10. Pour bechamel over the entire surface. You may not need all two cups, just enough to cover but not too much so that the cardoons are swimming in sauce.
11. Sprinkle bread crumbs over the entire surface.
12. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about an hour.
13. In a sautee pan with a little olive oil quickly sautee the ramps for about a minute to wilt.
14. With a fork layer the ramps over the cardoons and sprinkle with sea salt.
15. BECHAMEL: 4 tbs butter melted, add 4 tbs flour, slowly add 2 1/2 cups hot milk and stir until thickened and smooth. Add grind or two of nutmeg. Add 1 tsp salt.