As you probably know by now, I’m a big proponent of expanding your cooking-for-one skills by discovering new ingredients, and just figuring out what to do with them. So I thought I’d send a newsletter all about ramps! They’re an esoteric ingredient that most people don’t know how to approach, so I figured it would be helpful (and a good resource for myself) to put a bunch of ramp recipes in one place. When I’m at the farmers’ market and people see me gathering up bunches of ramps, they always ask me what they are and what to do with them! So, here you go:
What the heck are ramps?!
Ramps are an allium, in the family of onions, garlic, scallions, shallots, leeks, etc. They can also be called wild leeks. They have a big green leaf, and a little white stem, and little roots sticking out of the bottom. They have a sweet, garlicky flavor, not quite as sharp as a leek, and sweeter than a spring onion, and they have the texture of bok choy or spinach.
Where the heck do I find them?!
On the eastern side of the U.S., they grow in the wild! Some people are lucky enough to be able to forage them in their own backyard. Others who live in cities have to rely on famers’ markets to do the foraging for us.
A note about foraging/consuming ramps: these greens are considered a threatened species in many parts of the U.S.! So when you do find them, be kind! If you’re foraging in the wild, a good rule of thumb is to leave at least two thirds of what you see around you, for others and for the growth of the ramp population. If you’re purchasing ramps, know that they have a very short season and can be very expensive, so buying them in moderation is usually the best bet, to save some for others (and also save your wallet).
What the heck do I do with them?!
Ramps can be used as a substitute for a lot of alliums, like leeks or scallions. I’ve also used them as a substitute for spinach in a recipe below! They can be eaten raw, but you can also sauté them in a bit of butter or olive oil. Do cook the white stems a little longer than you cook the greens—ramps keep their garlicky flavor best if they only experience heat for a little while. But, you can also let them go a little longer if you want the leaves to get crispy!
When preparing ramps, you’ll want to cut off the roots first, then rinse them really well. You can do this efficiently by dunking them in a big bowl of water and shaking them around. You’ll then want to peel off any gooey layers on the outside of the stems (like you would find clinging to the outside of a scallion, or like the film between layers of an onion). After that, you’re ready to chop them up however the recipe calls for! You can slice the leaves into strips, or chunks, or just chop them in half and leave them really big. I tend to separate the stems from the greens in most of my ramp preparations, so I can let the stems cook longer.
How do I store them?
It’s so important to store ramps well, because they have such a short season! To make sure they don’t spoil, here’s the trick: Rinse them well in water, then get some damp paper towels and wrap them around the bunches of ramps, making sure to cover the leaves. Put them in a plastic bag, seal it closed, then store in the fridge!
So, there you go! Hopefully this is a helpful primer on one of the allium family’s most interesting offerings. This year, I used ramps in a stir-fry, in a grilled cheese (two ways—I cooked the stems in olive oil and left the leaves raw!), in potatoes (sautéed on their own first, then added to the potatoes after), in a ramp-artichoke dip, and in pakoras. So, I’m kind of ramped out. But someday I’d like to also try making them into a pesto, or replacing the leeks in a potato-leek soup, or adding them to scallion pancakes to make ramp pancakes! I’d love to even figure out a way to make them into a palak paneer, using ramps in the place of or in addition to the spinach. The possibilities are endless! Unfortunately, ramp season is not.
Below are some of my ramp recipes that will (hopefully) help start you on your ramp journey! They’re all pretty simple, and I promise they’re also all really good. Let me know if you make any of them!!
Ramp Pakoras
Time: 1 hr | Difficulty: 2/5 | Recommendation: Weekend project or dinner
I love coming up with new ways to cook ramps, and I also love finding new things to pakora-fy! So these are the best of both worlds. These pakoras are super crispy and light, and they’re sort of spinach-y, but also garlic-y and a bit onion-y and spicy. Anyway, they’re just so good. Prepping the ramps does take some time, but it’s really worth the effort!
Ingredients/Tools:
A big handful of ramps
Chickpea flour
Water
Spices: Salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, paprika, red chili powder, ginger powder
Vegetable oil
A big bowl
A skillet or wok
Method:
Prepare the ramps: Scrape off any slimy bits from the stems (like you find on scallions) and wash the ramps well. You can do this by dunking them in a big bowl with water.
Dry the ramps on a paper towel, then chop into half-inch strips on the diagonal. Basically, you want to put the knife on a diagonal with the leaves, and chop them so they’re about a half-inch in width. Then chop the stems so they’re about an inch long.
Add the ramps to a big bowl, then add a lot of chickpea flour, and the spices. Mis everything well.
Add in some water to make a batter. Continue alternating with chickpea flour and water, until you get a smooth batter that clings to the ramps.
Heat up about an inch of oil in a skillet.
When the oil is hot, add a clump of ramps to the oil and let the pakora fry. Flip when the first side is golden brown. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Enjoy them with tamarind sauce or ketchup!!
Ramp-Artichoke Dip
Time: 20 minutes | Difficulty: 1/5 | Recommendation: Snack tiiiime
This dip is so delicious and surprisingly easy! It all comes together in one pot, and just takes a little bit of chopping and measuring. The ramps here take the place of spinach, and add a sweetness and garlickiness to the whole thing. This recipe is adapted from Alison Roman’s recipe for spinach artichoke dip!
Ingredients/Tools:
A big handful of ramps
1 clove garlic, chopped
14-ounce can of artichoke hearts
8 ounces of cream cheese
4 ounces of mozzarella
4 ounces sour cream
Parmesan, grated
Salt, pepper, chili flakes
Olive oil
A big pot or dutch oven
Method:
Prepare the ramps: Scrape any slimy parts off the white stems (like you find on scallions), and chop off the roots. Wash them well. Then chop them in half, separating the stems from the leaves.
Heat the oil, garlic, and ramp stems in the pot. Stir until they start to turn golden, then add the ramp leaves. Stir them around until they start to wilt.
Drain the artichoke hearts and add them in. Sauté them for about a minute.
Lower the heat to low, and add in the cream cheese and mozzarella. Stir until everything is well combined.
Add in the sour cream and stir to combine.
Add salt, pepper, and chili flakes, and parmesan. Stir until everything is combined, and enjoy!
Ramp butter
Time: 2 hrs | Difficulty: 3/5 | Recommendation: Weekend project
Ramps (also called wild leeks) are so fresh and interesting! They’re as sharp and pungent as garlic, but not quite as sweet as true leeks...they just taste and smell like green 💚 They’re also not very abundant at all, and have a very short selling season, so when you see them at the market, snatch some up. You can sometimes find them just growing freely in the woods as well, but if you harvest them yourself, make sure to be considerate and leave many, many more than you take. This butter is an easy way to make your springy ramp flavors last longer, since you can freeze it. It takes a while, but it’s a really fun thing to do on a slow Saturday! And compound butter in general is a very fun concept! Highly recommend diving into this world!!
Ingredients/Tools:
A big handful of ramps
1 stick of salted butter, softened to room temperature (I used Kerrygold)
A squeeze of lemon juice
A big bowl
A food processor
Plastic wrap
Method:
Rinse the ramps.
Set some water to boil, then add some water and ice to a big bowl. Blanch the ramps by boiling them for about 30 seconds, then dropping them immediately into the ice bath. Remove when cool, and let them dry completely.
When dry, put the ramps into a food processor and blend. (If you don’t want to use a food processor, you can just chop them super finely.)
Add the ramps to the butter. Add the lemon juice. Then mush it all together until everything is well combined.
Roll out a big square of plastic wrap, and plop the butter along the bottom border. Keep a couple inches clear on either side. Then slowly roll up the plastic wrap, pressing the butter into a cylinder as you go along. Roll up the ends. Then stick the whole thing in the freezer. When you’re ready to use the butter, remove from the freezer, unwrap one end, and chop off the amount you want!