Just when it seems we are months from the growing season, the forest floor becomes covered with the bright green leaves of the ramp. Ramps, or wild leeks as they are sometimes known, are a member of the Allium family (along with garlic and onions), whose taste is somewhere around that of a garlicky scallion. Prized from the Southern Appalachian states all the way to the Canadian border, ramps are loaded with vitamins A and C, and, according to foraging website Wild Harvest, are thought to cholesterol-reducing properties similar to those found in garlic. Although the brave may choose to eat them raw, ramps should be boiled briefly and then shocked in ice water to reduce their distinctive aroma; they are wonderful with scrambled eggs, salads, and as a side dish to ham and beans. Ramp festivals abound in the South, the most famous of which is probably the Richmond, West Virginia Ramp festival, which every year I plan to attend and then never do, because I have to work. This year's fetival is this coming Saturday.
I don't really know where one might find ramps in a store in Columbus. Whole Foods might carry them, since thier mushroom supplier is the same person who supplies ramps to our restaurant, which is where I got mine. Be brave - if you see some ramps, try them out.
Archive - on this day last year, I made Rhubarb Crunch, which sounds like a pretty good thing to do again sometime soon . . .
