Our place is LOADED with ramps so this is harvesting time for freezer and fresh eating. They get cooked in everything now. Some favorite In salads and as "lettuce"on sandwiches. Greek chicken breast fillet baked over a bed of leeks and smothered in fresh mushooms. Chopped leeks in mac and cheese. Leek and potao soup, ranch leek dip, venison steaks sauteed in leeks and mushroom. Thats just a few What do you like them in?
Polk County, TN has a Ramp Tramp where folks go through the woods, collecting ramps. Then they have a big feast. Heard some mix them with pork brains. It's basically a type of wild onion. I'll stick with Vidalia onions.
Potato ramp soup: 8 slices of baked bacon till semi crisp Reserved 1/2the drippings 8cups diced red potato skin on 1 diced sweet onion 1 shaved carrot 1 roasted red pepper 4 cups diced wild leeks with half the greens 3 cloves of garlic diced 1 box low salt chicken broth 3 Tbs. Flour 1 pint of heavy cream Cook bacon and reserve then pour half the fat into soup pan. Heat then stir in leeks, carrots, garlic. Sautee untill translucent then add potatoes and red pepper. Heat then sprinkle with flour stiring well after each Tbsp. Then stir in broth and cook until potatoes are just tender. Then spoon off 1 1/2 c. hot broth and stir in the cream. Return this to pot with crumbled bacon and serve.
My grandparents called it Bärlauch, bear leek. I like making a cream sauce with it for pasta or making creamed spinach with a whole lot of ramps, the trick is to saute the ramps first and add a nice amount of Parmesan before baking it off, then top it with a little mozzarella and more Parmesan the last fifteen minutes in the oven. Smoother a baked potato in the creamed spinach and add a 16oz T-bone just a touch under medium.
This can be done with wild turkey or chicken. No turkey yet so chicken tonight Ramp and mushroom stuffed breast. Filet and pound breast. Then coat one side with a little garlic yogurt dressing. Home made or in a pinch Boat house dressing. Layer this with cut ramps and greens I used 4. Layer that with thin sliced favorite mushrooms. Top this with a little grated Romano and provalone cheese. Roll and tie up then spread a bit more dressing on top and cover with roasted red peppers. Bake 400 degrees 25 to 30 mins or until correct meat temp.
Pickle them in Ball, bread and butter pickling brine. Add to salads or eat them as is. Two weeks minimum in the brine. Leaves.....dip them in a buttermilk batter and deep fry them! Delicious! Sauteed with butter, whole or chopped and serve with venison steak/loin. Leek Pesto, Take the leaves and add some salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, olive oil, add all to a chopper and fine chop. add to pasta and enjoy. I also take a teaspoon of this pesto and add it to three whipped eggs and make an omelette. wow!!
