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I bought twelve bunches of ramps at the Byward market for $5.00 (CDN.) I've never handled the little chaps before and I wanted to make sure that we cook the green part, as per scallions, not just the white bits as per leeks. A risotto, I think.

The "Ramp Lady" in the market in Ottawa has her stand only Thursday, Friday and Saturday so maybe she's spending the rest of the week gathering the endangered little busters... It made me think that may not be such a terrible thing. ← I believe it is a criminal offense to pick these in Quebec...Since it can take 7 years for these plants to reproduce, they went alomost extinct in the south of the province. I have heard that things are much better now. ← Increasing urbanization has also diminished supplies of a plant that once ran rampant across much of North America. In fact, the wild leek inspired the name of Maggiecat's beloved Chicago. The city takes its name from the Menomini's word for ramps: "pikwute sikakushia" or "skunk plant". The Windy City grew in land beside Lake Michigan rich in ramps and therefore called "CicagaWuni" or "shikako", i.e. "skunk place". In Tennessee's national parks, I believe, there are laws preventing visitors from gathering ramps. However, if they grow on your own land...

At the end of the season, especially when the weather is hot and the ramps grow bigger with tougher leaves, West Virginians make ramp mustard.

Chicken leg wrapped in bacon, with bacon used to hold sliced green chiles and ramps in place; tasted good, but not crazy about the texture of the ramps cooked this way. Two more things to keep the ramp flavor around a little longer, since they're starting to wilt, both with minced ramps -- Ramp mojo: ramps, lemon juice, orange juice, olive oil, a couple slices of chile Ramp vinaigrette: ramps, olive oil, red wine vinegar, tiny bit of Dijon mustard. This is awaiting the arrival of my Penzey's shipment since I happen to be out of most dried herbs right now, but I'm figuring I'll throw a little marjoram in. It'd make sense to use ramps in herbs salees, too.

I made a first pass at the ramps tonight. butter and a little beefy evoo int the pan then white parts cut like scallions. Gave them a minute and then the green parts chiffonade with some rabe. let it go for a minute more put in a little chx stock and gave it 5 or 10 more min. S&P. booya! It was really great. Thanks for the guidance Dryden.

Whadda ya know? There are ramps at the San Francisco Ferry Plaza market. I'll get up there next week, perhaps. Thanks!

I've been torn between ordering them by mail while they're still available, and waiting to see if my Farmers Market has them this year (last year I didn't go during ramp season) -- does anyone have any positive or negative experiences to relay with mail order ramps?

Ramps delicate? News to me. Hell, they could take a whole hog's worth if bacon and still permeate the world.

During the height of ramp season, I was fortunate enough to obtain five pounds or so. The bulbs and white stems were pickled and canned for use in salads, garnish for roasts, and the occasional midnight snack. I simmered the ramp greens with chicken stock, cream, onion, Yukon Gold potatoes, and pureed it with an immersion blender before serving. The overall effect was similar to potato leek soup, but with a bold spring green hue and a heady aroma of garlic and chive. It was definitely not the soup of first dates, but the taste was worth the threat of sleeping alone.

Soups since the last post: Soups: • Pork wontons w/ kai lan in chicken broth. (link) • Beef short ribs (bone-in) & pork belly stew (link) • Short-cut pork spareribs, garlic, snow fungus and wong nga pak soup. (link) • Fresh maitake & white button mushroom soup. (link) • Lotus root soup. (link) • Pacific White shrimp, garlic, chicken broth, Napa cabbage, scallions. (link) • Hot & sour shrimp soup, Thai/Tom-yum inspired. (link) • A variation of bitter gourd & fish soup. (link) • Pumpkin blossom/squash blossom soup; w/ garlic, dark meat chicken, chicken stock, fish sauce, zucchini. (link) • Opo squash soup; w/ garlic, pork spare ribs, dried oysters, dried wood-ear fungus, Chinese mushrooms, goji berries, cellophane noodles. (link) • Cucumber soup; w/ chicken thighs, duck leg, Poona Kheera & Brown Russian cucumbers, garlic (Music), dried cuttlefish, dried Solomon's Seal rhizome, dried longans, dried tangerine peel, Chinese jujubes, chicken fat. (link) • White Russian kale (de-ribbed) & garlic in chicken stock. (link) • Daikon & minced pork ball soup in pork bone soup. (link) • Soup, with Chicken fat, garlic, dark meat chicken, snow fungus, angled loofah. (link) • Pickled mustard soup; w/ chicken, Japanese Trifele tomatoes, ginger, sour plums, vinegar", jozo-mirin, etc. (link) • Chicken broth w/ red carrots, Chinese celery, ginger & sea salt. (link; scroll down) • Soupy fish curry. (link; scroll down) • Bak Kut Teh. (link; scroll down) • Old Cucumber Soup; w/ stuff. (link1; link2) • Soup: straw mushrooms & leafy celery in milky pork stock diluted w/ water & chicken stock. (link) • Baby Shanghai bok choy, wilted in and served with (sieved) chicken broth. (link) • Soup w/ chicken stock, hon-dashi, straw mushrooms, wakame, scallions. (link) • More Bak Kut Teh, a lighter version. (link) • Soup, w/ chicken legs, garlic, sea salt, Savoy cabbage, jozo mirin, couple splashes of Maggi sauce. (link) • Soup, w/ garlic, sour shrimp paste, red & green shishito peppers, green zucchini, white mushrooms, jozo mirin, fish sauce, hon mirin, wild American shrimp. (link) • A ramped-up Itek Tim. (link) • Asparagus & standard mushrooms in chicken stock. (link) • Mushroom soup, w/ fresh maitake, fresh white beech, canned straw mushrooms; in a chicken broth + chicken fat. (link) • Miso soup; w/ Katsuobushi stock, Hon-dashi, cut wakame, Tokyo negi (white part only), aburaage, shiro miso , green parts of scallions. (link) Noodle soups: • Shanghai Yangchun noodles w/ duck wing stock/broth and chopped scallions (link) • Chicken slow-simmered broth w/ celery, carrots, parsley stems; with min6 sin3. (link) • “Instant Noodles Artificial Hot &Sour Shrimp Flavor” (酸辣蝦麵) [Dragonfly] w/ garlic, celery, mushrooms, scallions, eggs, prawns, coriander leaves. (link) • Chicken, snow fungus & angled loofah soup; with Fuzhou-type thin wheat noodles. (link) • "Instant Noodles Artificial Pork Ribs Flavor" [Dragonfly] w/ Tuscan kale, peppered beef, eggs, Zephyr squash & fried shallots. (link) • "Ibumie Penang Lad Mee Perisa Lada Pedas (Hot Pepper Flavour)"; w/ garlic, Tuscan kale, sweet Italian red pepper, fish balls, eggs. (link) • "Fresh" pork tonkotsu ramen [sun Noodles]; with Chinese char-siu, Pull Mustard, "fish tofu", scallions, eggs. (link) • "Hong Kong Style Wonton Soup Flavored Instant Noodle King" (生麵皇) [sau Tao], with scallions, corned beef slices, eggs, Napa cabbage. (link) • "Instant Noodles Artificial Pork-Ribs Flavor" (紅燒排骨麵) [Dragonfly brand]; w/ kkakdugi marinating liquid, Debreziner sausages, yellow onion, eggs, kai-lan. (link) • Skinny wonton noodles w/ vegetable broth and some of the vegetables; plus spinach & Dodge City salami. (link) • "QQ Abalone and Chicken Soup Flavored Vermicelli" [sau Tao]; w/ chicken thighs, romaine heart, spinach, button mushrooms. (link) • "Instant Noodles Artificial Hot & Sour Shrimp Flavor" [Dragonfly]; w/ Dodge City salami, broccoli, spinach, shrimp, eggs, plus some other stuff. (link; scroll down) • "Sapporo Ichiban Japanese-style Noodles & Chicken Flavored Soup"; w/ chicken, romaine lettuce, scallions, garlic. (link, link) • "Stirfried Kimchi Noodles" [Paldo]; w/ kkakdugi, kibun takebue chikuwa, pork meatballs, Napa cabbage, "pull mustard", scallions. (link) • Kimchi noodle soup; w/ Chinese roast pork, baby bok choy, scallions. (link) • "Shin Black Spicy Pot-au-feu Flavor Noodle Soup" [Nongshim] with scallions, shishito peppers, deep-fried shallots. (link) • Pork & shrimp wontons [Prime Food] w/ skinny wonton noodles, romaine lettuce, scallions; in a shiitake/"stock fish"/chicken stock soup. (link) • Laksa lemak, with poached chicken, shrimp, mung bean sprouts, laksa leaves. (link) Congees: • Pork belly rice congee w/ preserved mustard stems & soy puffs. (link) • Rice congee w/ fish. (link) • Rice congee w/ pork spare ribs, pork belly, chillied bamboo shoots, Chinese mushrooms, & tofu. (link) • Rice congee w/ pork spare ribs, chicken, salted mustard, ginger, garlic, aburaage, scallions. (link) Additionally w/ raw egg. (link) • Rice congee; w/ ginger (lots), garlic, pork spare ribs, salt, ja choi (榨菜), dried Chinese mushrooms, fried tofu puffs; and w/ deep-fried shallots, scallions, coriander leaves. (link)

Preserved yolks...interesting. What use for it? Lately in our house it has been ramp season, so lots of pounding with the mortar and pestle (a far superior product than the blender) and good olive oil. So far, 12 jars have made their way into the freezer.

@Shelby & any other pesto makers. If you have access and are able, a mortar and pestle makes a far superior end product than a food processor ever could. I believe it has something to do with the way the cell walls are broken down which creates a different result. We noticed the same thing when making ramp oil and pesto years ago - ever since, my arm has gotten quite a workout!