Ramps grow wild in the woods of West Virginia and area welcomed delicacy every spring. Old timers used the plant as a spring tonic to beat the winter blues. Ramps are also known as wild leeks, they belong to the lily family and are close relatives to the onion and garlic. The leaves are 2 inch wide and 8 inches long at maturity. The leaves disappear when the deciduous trees make their canopy. The bulbs remain in the soil. In the summer the ramp will flower with three sepals and three petals and produce seeds. Once the ramp has bloomed, it goes dormant and revives when spring comes. If you like to grow ramps it’s best to get them in the springtime. Plant the bulb 2 inches deep. Ramps thrive in moist, shady hillsides. It takes about 5 to 10 years to get a good harvest. West Virginia is known to have ramp festivals. The one in Richwood is very popular. The city’s local volunteers serve thousands of pounds of old-time Appalachian ramps.
Try this ramp recipe with bite-size pieces of French= bread or crusty bread:
Blanch 15 ramps including tops. Cool and then chop finely. Whip sour cream and softened cream cheese together. Add cayenne pepper and salt. Add chopped ramps.
Finely chop remaining raw ramps and add to mixture. Serve with bite-size pieces of crusty chewy bread or French bread.
2-1/2 c. whole wheat
1-2/3 c. whole rye
1/2 c. barley
1/4 c. millet
1/4 c. lentils
2 tbsp. great northern beans, uncooked
2 tbsp. red kidney beans, uncooked
2 tbsp. pinto beans, uncooked
2 c. lukewarm water, divided
1/2 c. plus 1 tsp. honey, divided (vegan replacement agave nectar)
2 tbsp. yeast
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
Measure and combine all the above ingredients in a large bowl. Put this mixture into a flour mill and grind. The flour should be the consistency of regular flour. Coarse flour may cause digestion problems. This makes 8 cups of flour. Use 4 cups per batch of bread. Measure 4 cups of flour into a large bowl. Store the remaining flour mixture for future use. Measure 1 cup lukewarm water (110-115 degrees) in a small mixing bowl. Add 1 teaspoon of the honey (or, agave) and the yeast, stir to dissolve the yeast, cover, and set aside, allowing the yeast to rise for 5-10 minutes. In a small mixing bowl, combine the following: olive oil, 1/2 cup honey (agave), and the remaining cup of warm water. Mix well then add this to the flour mixture in the large bowl. Add the yeast to the bowl and stir until well mixed. The mixture should be consistency of slightly "heavy" cornbread. Spread the mixture evenly in an 11" x 15" pan sprayed with no-cholesterol cooking oil. Let the mixture rie for one hour in a warm place. Bake at 375 degrees F for approximately 30 minutes. Check for doneness. Bread should be the consistency of baked cornbread.
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