Seasonal Eats: Ramps

Of all of the edible delicacies the spring season is known for — peas, asparagus, fiddlehead ferns, rhubarb, lamb and soft shell crab — ramps are undoubtedly the most lusted after.  Sometimes referred to as a wild leek, the tender ramp, tasting like a cross between onions and garlic, is native to North America, with a burgundy-tinted bulb that resembles a scallion, and flat, broad, light green leaves.

Since ramps cannot be cultivated, they’re exclusively a foraged food, found in moist, deciduous forests, growing in close groups strongly rooted just beneath the surface of the soul.  In many areas, the fleeting ramp season (generally lasting from late April to early June) is truly a cause for celebration — an annual “Stinkfest” is held in Bradford, Pennsylvania, along with a “Ramp it Up!” carnival in North Carolina and a Ramp Festival in Flag Pond, Tennessee.

And while New York doesn’t hold an official fete for ramps, our restaurants eagerly pay homage to the tender wild onion with specials throughout the spring.  At Pearl & Ash, Richard Kuo has swapped out his infamous Bread and Chicken Butter for a whiskey and ramp condiment, using pickled ramp leaves sweetened with honey.  And at Einat Admoney’s newest eatery, Bar Bolonat, whole ramps are grilled along with asparagus, and served with a Meyer lemon sauce and breadcrumb topping, flavored with the fragrant, Middle Eastern spice blend known as Baharat.

Ramps make a perfect playmate for pasta, so it’s unsurprising to see them on the menu at Chris Jaeckle’s buzzy Venetian restaurant, All’onda.  A plate of Rombi (diamond-shaped noodles) are bathed in white wine, butter and parmesan dashi, strewn with sautéed ramps and grilled asparagus and accented with chili flakes.  And at The Little Owl, the wild leeks appear in an off-menu Ramp Risotto, paired with seared black cod and finished with smoky, roasted red peppers.

One of the loveliest (and simplest) showcases for ramps is to layer them on toast, and hot newcomer Charlie Bird has a particularly tasty Crostini boasting grilled ramps and ribbons of salty prosciutto.  And at Thistle Hill Tavern in Brooklyn, Dale Talde has found a way to make his top-selling, 16-ounce Hampshire Pork Chop even more appealing; by serving it with rhubarb mostarda and a dazzlingly green ramp chimichurri.

If you’re eager to get your hands on your own bounty of ramps (and don’t fancy yourself a forager) don’t even bother searching in the grocery store.  Set your alarm clock for the wee hours of the morning and be first on line at the greenmarket, where ramps are often available — but reliably sell out within minutes.  If you’re one of the lucky few to actually spot some for sale, choose vibrant green leaves with sturdy stalks, firm white bulbs and roots that show no signs of rotting.  As long as they’re sealed tightly in plastic and stored in the refrigerator—with root ends swathed in damp paper towels—ramps will keep for three or four days.  Before cooking, slip off the thin outer layer of skin from the stem and then cut off the root end.  Submerge ramps in cool water and swish them around thoroughly to remove the grit.

So how do you use ramps, anyway?  Since they taste like mild garlic, leeks and onions but have a delicate, leafy texture, the sky’s the limit.  You can brush whole ramps with olive oil, sprinkle them with salt and pepper, and grill until soft and charred as the ideal accompaniment for meat or fish.  As a salad substitute, steam them gently in boiling water, and top with your favorite vinaigrette.  Simply sauté chopped ramps in butter and add to pasta, whipped potatoes or eggs, throw them into stir-fries, or sprinkle on top of soups.  And if you’d like to extend ramp season throughout the year, remember that the greens make a fantastic pesto, and the bulbs can be easily pickled, and reserved for later use.

So whether you choose to forage in the forest for ramps yourself, hightail it to the farmers market in order to buy some or merely order them at restaurants, whatever you do, don’t let the excitement of ramp season pass you by!

Pearl & Ash
220 Bowery., btwn. Spring and Rivington Sts.
(212) 837-2370
pearlandash.com

Bar Bolonat
611 Hudson St., btwn. Jane and 12th Sts.
(212) 390-1545
barbolonatny.com

All’onda
22 E 13th St., btwn. 5th Ave and University Pl.
(212) 231-2236
allondanyc.com

The Little Owl
90 Bedford St., btwn. Grove and Barrow Sts.
(212) 741-4695
thelittleowlnyc.com

Charlie Bird
5 King St., btwn. MacDougal St and Avenue Of The Americas
(212) 235-7133
charliebirdnyc.com

Thistle Hill Tavern
441 7th Ave., btwn. 6th Ave & 16th St.
(347) 599-1262
thistlehillbrooklyn.com