Hey there and welcome back! I have something a little different planned for this week and I hope you enjoy it.
This week I want to talk to you about an Appalachian delicacy better known as the ramp. So, mix up a bloody Mary (with or without the booze), and let’s chat about all the wonderful things you can do with ramps.
I know you are used to me coming to you week after week with recipes to try with fun variations, but this week I really wanted to highlight the ramp since they are currently in season and so often get a bad rap.
I will admit, when I first moved to West Virginia in 1999 I had never heard of a ramp, but when I did hear about them it wasn’t really pleasant. I moved here my senior year in high school and all I ever heard about ramps was what other students said about them — “they stink really bad and you know when someone has eaten them based on how they smell!” Based on the reviews of my peers at the time I subconsciously decided the ramp probably wasn’t for me because I was surely not all about stinking from the food I ate — yuck!
When my wife and I started dating in 2007, my now mother-in-law Tammy Coats made ramps with fried potatoes and my thoughts, in this order, were: wow these are amazing, wonder why people say they are so strong, and I don’t think they stink at all; and I have been enjoying ramps ever since.
Notice I said enjoying them – I didn’t start cooking with them until recently. Last year, we were given ramps by various people. Some of the ramps had been cleaned and some had not, and for those that were not cleaned my wife Candi cleaned them because I wouldn’t have known where to start; but don’t you worry I learned to clean ramps this year. Cleaning ramps is a task and what I have found to be the stinkiest part!
Here is what I have learned about ramps — raw they are way too strong for my liking. I don’t like eggs but they seem to be very popular in eggs. Potatoes are the go-to to mix ramps with, but I also like to step outside the box a little with ramps. I have been known to add them to any dish that would normally call for onions. I feel like the garlicky onion flavor pairs well with a veggie alfredo and is also a great addition to some sauteed squash and zucchini with a little olive oil.
My good friend Rebekah infuses vodka with ramps then uses that vodka in our Bloody Mary’s and they are out of this world; she adds a pickle and a slice of bacon, which really pairs well with the ramp infused vodka and tomato base. Recently I spoke with Annie and Clay at The Village Wine Shop and they had some great suggestions for pairing wine with ramps:
“When hunting and eating Ramps here in West Virginia, one must back that up with a hearty libation, perhaps some bluegrass on the porch and Maw Maw’s supper! Our friends at Old World Libations in Union, W.Va., are always happy to provide! Sticking to the ideal that ‘what grows together, goes well together,’ nothing could complement the efforts and hard work that go into hunting for ramps better than a delicious wine from West Virginia herself!
Scott and April strive to create a wholesome, family-friendly winery experience, strengthen our local community, and grow superior quality fruit in an environmentally sustainable manner. As a farm winery, they are dedicated to growing the highest quality grapes and orchard fruits on their farm. Nothing could pair better with a pork dish and steamed ramps on the side than their Apple Prosper wine, cold and delicious or for a hearty ramp stew, their Friendship Red knocks it out of the park!
Be sure to plan a visit for the whole family and see their beautiful, new event center! The Village Wine Shop in White Sulphur, proudly carries Old World Libations!”
I have never tried it but wonder if sauteed ramps would be good on top of brie and then smeared on a cracker or perhaps mixed into cream cheese and spread on a spinach tortilla then sliced into pinwheels to be served as a BBQ appetizer.
Recently I made fried potatoes with ramps and bacon with scrambled eggs that had ramps in them as well and they were another family hit!
In the next couple of weeks I plan to make ramp butter with my new butter churner! So, there you have it, friends!
No matter what you do with ramps make it your own and don’t be afraid to try new things. As always, I am sending love from my kitchen to yours!
Lindsey lives in White Sulphur Springs with her wife Candi and their nephew Austin. By day Lindsey is a service coordinator at Seneca Health Services in the IDD/Waiver program. Lindsey enjoys spending time with family and friends, entertaining when possible but most importantly she loves cooking from the heart.
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