Green Lemonade

Broaden your kitchen horizons, experiment with new, seasonal foods. Try ramps. This delicate little wild leek is causing quite a fuss right now in New York. People love them.

* *

I live a short bike ride away from the Union Square Farmer’s Market here in New York. A few weeks ago I was wandering through the market on an early spring day, anxiously anticipating the arrival of some locally grown spring vegetables and micro greens. Some colorful spring flowers were also on my wish list. This Union Square market, the largest of New York’s farmers markets, is open year round and is always fun to visit even in the winter. But after months of squash and potatoes I was ready for a little more variety. Selfish me.

I have been pleasantly surprised over the past few weeks at the breadth of produce coming down from up state New York and across the river from New Jersey. A plethora of herbs, even some fabulous potted herb plants, micro-greens, several varieties of kale, asparagus, spinach, crisp apples and mushrooms are now in abundance. Additionally, tulips, lilacs and other flowering branches and big fragrant rosemary bushes line the outside of the market. On some days if you get there early, there are a few beautiful cartons of strawberries to be had as well as a small, delicate bunch of ramps. Never having tried ramps before and after reading about them in virtually every local magazine here in the City, I figured I would give them a try. I’m glad I did.

What Are Ramps?

Available once a year for a short period, ramps are a wild, delicate member of the onion family native to North America. Ramps are often called wild leeks. Leeks of course are part of the larger (albeit more mild) onion family. Ramps have a small white bulb that resembles that of a scallion, with beautiful dark green, flat, broad leaves. The green tops are milder in flavor and are usually used along with the bulbs. The flavor and odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of onions and garlic.

Ramps are available for only a short season, usually from late March until early May. And here in New York the farmers markets, restaurants and magazines are a buzz with enthusiasm for this tiny delicate leek. By now, I think local supply has started to catch up with the demand, but there was a period for a few weeks where you had to be up at the main farmers market by 9:00 am if you wanted any of these delicate leeks. A few Saturdays ago I was at the market and one farmer had totally sold out of all his ramps by 9:30 am. The next week he came back with five times as many ramps, and the crowds were still going wild over these little onions well into the early afternoon that day.

If you do not have a farmers market near you, your grocery store may carry them. Just this last week, I noticed the Whole Foods Market had started to carry a few bunches of ramps, for instance. They can be a little pricey (~$10 / lb) but you don’t need but a few bulbs to capture the flavor of the ramps – I got 4 ramps for $2 on a recent trip – and it’s fun to experiment with new, seasonal foods.

How To Eat Ramps

Find out what all the fuss is about, and introduce yourself to this fresh, natural off the beaten path ingredient in your cooking. Use the bulb and leaves of the ramp raw or cooked in any recipe calling for scallions or leeks. Ramps are also wonderful in soups, eggs and rice or pasta dishes.

Ramps also make a wonderful vinaigrette and sautéed in a little olive oil, ramps are delightful caramelized and tossed on top of a salad or mixed with a simple quinoa dish. This is how I am most enjoying ramps at the moment.

Ramps are easy to clean. Just cut off roots, rinse thoroughly, and scrub off any excess dirt on the bulbs.