Ramp and Potato Gratin

http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/04/14/travel/escapes/14ramps.html?pagewanted=2

Alice's Ramp and Potato Gratin

½ pound ramps
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gruyère or extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 pounds red-skinned potatoes (or potato of choice) of similar size
2 cups half-and-half
3 sprigs of thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional: red pepper flakes.

(Note: You can never use too many ramps or too much cheese in this dish. Adjust up or down depending on taste.)

1. Sauté ramps in olive oil until wilted, with a dash of pepper flakes if you like a kick. Combine the cheeses and reserve a cup for the topping.

2. Wash the potatoes, peel if you like (I don't) and slice them into very thin rounds, using a mandoline or a sharp knife.

3. Oil a 9-by-12-inch heavy, shallow baking dish, preferably earthenware or cast enamel.

4. In a small saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a simmer with thyme and add, generously, salt and pepper. Remove the thyme and set the mixture aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Arrange about one-fourth of the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of the dish. Season as you go. Evenly layer in about one-third of the ramps, sprinkling cheese and a few spoons of half-and-half; repeat twice, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour the rest of the half-and-half over the potato mixture, allowing the liquid to hit just below the top layer of potatoes. Top off with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake until the potatoes feel tender, about one hour.

7. Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees, remove the foil and bake until the top begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.