Description
Ramps are a type of wild allium that are related to spring onions and leeks and boast a pungent garlicky onion flavor. Like ginger and turmeric, ramps are rhizomes, which means they multiply and stem from a horizontal rootstalk. It takes about seven years for one ramp seed to emerge as a small shoot.
How do you cook ramps?
Sauté the bulbs and leaves
The quickest way to cook ramps — and one beloved by purists — is to simply chop them, sauté the bulbs and leaves, then serve them in scrambled eggs, mixed with a bowlful of pasta, in a frittata or atop a fancy pizza from one of the country's best chefs.
Make ramp butter
Finely chop some ramp leaves and mix them with softened butter and a little sea salt for a homemade compound butter. You can then wrap up the butter and freeze it to use for the next six months anytime you want to give some roasted or sauteed vegetables or meat a little something extra. Ramp butter also works well in a savory morning bun or other pastry.
