I am posting the Ramps Thread in Home Cooking since they’re found throughout North America, and the way the regional boards are set up, choosing a general North American region is not easy to do.
This thread is inspired by Maribel’s Calçots thread.
Being from Canada, where ramps also grow wild in many parts, I didn’t realize West Virginia and other parts of Appalachia are known for their ramps.
We have a while to wait for that, yet. They’re not ready to start harvesting until April. It’s my favourite wild harvest of the year and I’m lucky enough to have them growing in my yard.
I adore ramps - they aren’t easy to find wild in my area, so I ordered some roots to transplant when I first moved into our current home. They have survived, but haven’t really thrived, so my harvests are limited to just a few leaves each year. Still, I always manage to freeze a few containers of ramp pesto and ramp butter for use throughout the year. In fact, I made spaghetti al’aglio e burro with ramp butter just a few days ago - one of the best renditions of that dish I’ve ever had.
I grew up in a place where ramps were rampant () but didn’t realize it while I lived there - in fact, I’m sure I didn’t learn what a ramp was until my Chowhound days. Unfortunately, I learned that the woods surrounding the house where I grew up were absolutely LOADED with ramps just as I was helping my parents move out of that house to a condo in Chicago. I got in one good harvest on moving day, though!
Cheremsha / Pickled Siberian Onion leaves. Some sites translate Cheremsha as ramsons. I suspect the local wild leek or wild garlic growing near you is fine.
) but didn’t realize it while I lived there - in fact, I’m sure I didn’t learn what a ramp was until my Chowhound days. Unfortunately, I learned that the woods surrounding the house where I grew up were absolutely LOADED with ramps just as I was helping my parents move out of that house to a condo in Chicago. I got in one good harvest on moving day, though!
