The Joyful Vegetarian: Onion

Ramp Hors D’oeuvres

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:

1 8-oz. package cream cheese

2 cups sour cream

20 ramps

½ tsp. cayenne pepper

½ tsp. salt

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.

Pickled Brussel Sprouts

Fresh Brussels sprout for sale at a farm in We...

Image via Wikipedia

This is a recipe handed down from my grandmother Hall who loved to keep a garden and later can vegetables and fruits for the winter. Before there was a thing called refrigeration they had root cellars. Even raw milk was kept for a few days in stone pitchers. That was the good ol’ days. She also loved the Bible and loved to quilt. The pickled Brussels sprouts recipe is one of the heirlooms past down through our families.

1-qt. Brussels sprouts	5-small onions, sliced
1-cup canola oil	1-tsp. salt
1-cup sugar	2 cloves of garlic
1-cup vinegar	Pickling spice
3 large red peppers, diced

First, wash; trim ends of Brussel sprouts stems by cutting down lengthwise.

Next, Combine all ingredients in a large kettle and cook for 5 minutes. Add enough Brussel sprouts to float on the liquid. Add 1 garlic cloves to each jar. Cook Brussel sprouts for 3 minutes. Put in hot sterilized jars and seal.

PH Chart of Acid and Alkaline Foods

Alkaline-Forming Foods	+40	Cucumbers, Radishes, Squash
	+35	Pure Lecithin, Ginger, Spinach
	+30	Dried Figs, Shiitake Mushrooms, Beets, Celery, Carrots, Tomatoes
	+25	Dandelion Greens, Soy Nuts
	+20	Olives, Molasses, Cabbage & Lettuce
	+15	Raisins, Beans (French, White, Kidney)
	+10	Apples, Pears, Bananas, Oranges
	+ 5	Potatoes, Lentils, Onions, Garlic
Acid-Forming Foods	0	Whey, Cow’s Milk, Goat’s Milk
	- 5	Butter, Cream, Soft Cheese
	-10	Whole Grains Breads, Margarine, Nuts
	-15	Most Breads and Pastas, Spaghetti
	-20	Natural and Wild Rice, Beer, Wine
	-25	Hard Cheese (Parmesan), Fish
	-30	Fresh Water Fish, Eggs, Liquor
	-35	Chocolate
	-40	Ham, Turkey, Chicken, Coffee, Tea, Beef, Oysters, Crab, Lobster, Shrimp, Pork, Veal, Hamburgers, Polished Rice.

This chart is to show that it is better to eat a diet of fruits & vegetables for optimum health. Research has shown that a diet consuming alkaline foods prevent such diseases as cancer and other diseases.

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Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Ramp Hors D’oeuvres

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Pickled Brussel Sprouts

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PH Chart of Acid and Alkaline Foods

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