Nothing says 'spring' like ramps. The first time I encountered ramps was when I'd just finished college lived with a couple who graciously took me in to their house in a suburb outside of New York City for a few months while I hunted for an apartment of my own. That spring I was treated to the fruits of David's labors; he would regularly comb the forest floor for culinary morsels, most notably, ramps.
Alice Feiring, in her article in last Friday's NY Times (Into the Woods, on the Trail of the Wild Leek), tells her own story of meeting up with ramps. In beautiful prose, she gives a thorough run-down of the tiny little harbinger of spring.
Ramps (Allium tricoccum) are essentially wild leeks, although not technically. They have tiny white bulbs and long, tender greens. Ms. Feiring describes their scent as an "earthy oniony smell... topped off by a high note of white truffle." Feeling spring-fever yet? If you should go hunting for ramps, you'd be on the lookout for smooth leaves, much like those of Lily-of-the-Valley. Below ground, the greens are purple and the bulb is thin and often sloped.
Now the nutritional report: Ramps are high in vitamin C and in many cultures are used to make curative tonics. Their popularity in our neck of the woods has increased dramatically in the last decade, thanks in part to farmers like Rick Bishop of Mountain Sweet Berry Farms (Roscoe, NY). Ramps grow in abundance all along the Appalachian, Catskill, and Berkshire mountain areas, and so they are dependably featured at NY-area farmers' markets this time of year.
Their taste is often a point of debate - not everyone loves their pungent flavor, others, like Ms. Feiring, find their sweet, onion bulbs addictive.
The easiest preparation is sauting them in olive oil with a sprinkle of salt. I enjoyed numerous plates of sauted ramps at David's table. They are often paired with eggs. Ms. Feiring offers a recipe for a Ramp and Potato Gratin with lots of aged Cheddar, which doesn't sound half-bad either.
Here are a few other recipes to consider:
Ramp Risotto (from Alto and LImpero chef Scott Conant)
Scrambled Eggs with Ramps
Spaghetti with Ramps
(photo: Babbo NYC)
My husband and I picked up three bunches at Union Square yesterday, and I roasted some of them along with some mixed baby potatoes, olive oil, salt and pepper - so yummy!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jenblossom/131869202/
They were almost all gone from Union Square by afternoon, but I got one bunch for pasta with grape tomatoes and proscuitto.
thanks so much for this piece! i saw them at the market last week and was so intrigued...i have to admit that i didn't really know what they were so i really appreciate now having this knowledge.
one vendor (the people who have the delicious fingerling potatos) had a great little poster up that showed how different chefs around the city were planning to prepare them. loved that!
I just had ramps the other night at Little Giant on the lower east side. I had never heard of them before, but they were delicious ... cavatelli with ramp puree and wilted ramps.
i went by union square this morning on my way into work hoping to score some ramps, but the chefs from Craft had just been through and bought ALL of them, i mean literally, cleaned out every. last. STAND!
DOH!
a few years ago, I came across ramps growing in the wild while doing an archaeological excavation... About a month later, the NYT Food section had a blurb about a restaurant in NYC that waas making gibsons with pickled ramps, rather than an onion... sounded interesting.
Wow!!! What a trip (down memory lane). I thought ramps were a Southern thing, but I guess not. Your story brought back many fond memories of my Grandmother. Thanks.
47 - the age I was when my life changed drastically.
29 - the age I was when my first child was 8
15 - the age I was when I got my first 'real' kiss