sometimes called wild leeks or wild onions, this native north american forest commodity is prized by chefs across the northern half of our country..... though the bulbous white bottom resembles that of a scallion, the beautiful flat, broad leaves thoroughly set it apart....... ramps grow wild here in maine and are considered a spring delicacy and a reason to celebrate the onslaught of springs vibrant edibles plucked from the wilds (march-june)........ the deep allium flavor and pungent odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of sulfur rich onions and a particularly strong garlic odor...... if you have ever foraged for ramps you know that the strong fragrant odor of this forest edible is one way to identify this american culinary treasure..... strong enough, in fact, even devoted ramp-lovers will advise nasal caution.........! the flavor was once described as 'similar to fried green onions with a dash of funky feet'............ ramps add wonderful and uniquely pungent flavors to a wide variety of dishes: soups, casseroles, sautees, rice dishes and potato dishes..... in central appalachia, ramps are commonly fried with potatoes in bacon fat or scrambled with free-range farm eggs and served with bacon, pinto beans and cornbread..... ramps are not around for long...... if you know a 'spot' that ramps grow naturally in your area, it is quit easy to differentiate the ramp from other imposters.... remember, ramps only grow in the early spring (here in maine we have several weeks of plentiful crops depending on your proximity), around late march and or early april, at the same time one may find the prized morel mushroom....... ramps are usually found in forested areas that are shady and sandy such as near clean water streams and creeks..... the well defined 'broad leaf' of the ramp will help you keep them separate from the look-a-like lily of the valley coming out of the ground...... and if you need to follow the strong garlicky odor...... if you manage to find some wild ramps, make sure you leave more than half of each clump so that they can continue to cultivate in that 'spot'.......... (don't give up your 'spot' - it is YOUR spot) those mountain folks of appalachia have long celebrated spring with the arrival of the ramp, believing it to have great power as a tonic to ward off the many ailments of winter, and a ramp bath was even featured in the film Where the Lilies Bloom..... these appalachian locals may have been on to something, as the selenium and sulphur-rich ramp is now the subject of intense study in the areas of cancer prevention and treatment...... a thick growth of ramps near lake michigan in illinois in the 17th century gave chicago its name, after the area was described by 17th-century explorer robert cavalier, sieur de la salle, and explained by his comrade, naturalist henri joutel...... the plant called chicagou in the language native tribes was once thought to be Allium Cernuum, the nodding wild onion, but research in the early 1990's showed the correct plant to be the ramp...... these cherished culinary delicacies seem to come and go as they please, for years a patch may be plentiful and then, suddenly, it will yield nothing at all, nada, bubcuss, zero......! I am yet to put ramps in my pipe, but I have smoked them, roasted them, sauteed them, pickled them, braised them, pureed them and grilled them....... I have eaten them right out of the ground, raw and dirty..........! when wild ramps arrive in the farmer's market in early spring or if you know of a 'spot' to find them, bring a handful home and enjoy spring in its purest form........ and remember when the trillium's bloom, look for ramps, celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring............Saturday, July 17, 2010
ramps................(allium tricoccum)
sometimes called wild leeks or wild onions, this native north american forest commodity is prized by chefs across the northern half of our country..... though the bulbous white bottom resembles that of a scallion, the beautiful flat, broad leaves thoroughly set it apart....... ramps grow wild here in maine and are considered a spring delicacy and a reason to celebrate the onslaught of springs vibrant edibles plucked from the wilds (march-june)........ the deep allium flavor and pungent odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of sulfur rich onions and a particularly strong garlic odor...... if you have ever foraged for ramps you know that the strong fragrant odor of this forest edible is one way to identify this american culinary treasure..... strong enough, in fact, even devoted ramp-lovers will advise nasal caution.........! the flavor was once described as 'similar to fried green onions with a dash of funky feet'............ ramps add wonderful and uniquely pungent flavors to a wide variety of dishes: soups, casseroles, sautees, rice dishes and potato dishes..... in central appalachia, ramps are commonly fried with potatoes in bacon fat or scrambled with free-range farm eggs and served with bacon, pinto beans and cornbread..... ramps are not around for long...... if you know a 'spot' that ramps grow naturally in your area, it is quit easy to differentiate the ramp from other imposters.... remember, ramps only grow in the early spring (here in maine we have several weeks of plentiful crops depending on your proximity), around late march and or early april, at the same time one may find the prized morel mushroom....... ramps are usually found in forested areas that are shady and sandy such as near clean water streams and creeks..... the well defined 'broad leaf' of the ramp will help you keep them separate from the look-a-like lily of the valley coming out of the ground...... and if you need to follow the strong garlicky odor...... if you manage to find some wild ramps, make sure you leave more than half of each clump so that they can continue to cultivate in that 'spot'.......... (don't give up your 'spot' - it is YOUR spot) those mountain folks of appalachia have long celebrated spring with the arrival of the ramp, believing it to have great power as a tonic to ward off the many ailments of winter, and a ramp bath was even featured in the film Where the Lilies Bloom..... these appalachian locals may have been on to something, as the selenium and sulphur-rich ramp is now the subject of intense study in the areas of cancer prevention and treatment...... a thick growth of ramps near lake michigan in illinois in the 17th century gave chicago its name, after the area was described by 17th-century explorer robert cavalier, sieur de la salle, and explained by his comrade, naturalist henri joutel...... the plant called chicagou in the language native tribes was once thought to be Allium Cernuum, the nodding wild onion, but research in the early 1990's showed the correct plant to be the ramp...... these cherished culinary delicacies seem to come and go as they please, for years a patch may be plentiful and then, suddenly, it will yield nothing at all, nada, bubcuss, zero......! I am yet to put ramps in my pipe, but I have smoked them, roasted them, sauteed them, pickled them, braised them, pureed them and grilled them....... I have eaten them right out of the ground, raw and dirty..........! when wild ramps arrive in the farmer's market in early spring or if you know of a 'spot' to find them, bring a handful home and enjoy spring in its purest form........ and remember when the trillium's bloom, look for ramps, celebrate the end of winter and the beginning of spring............