Ramps

[MikeHartnett]

Does anyone know if ramps are available around New Orleans, and if so, where they would be?

[TAPrice]

Any luck on finding ramps? I assume that they won't grow this far south. Surely Whole Foods imports that kind of thing, although I haven't seen them.

I never tried one, but I would certainly like to.

The northeast food media sure makes a big fuss about ramps every season. Sounds like they've become something of cliché in New York. Last May, I was visiting some friends who are interested in food but not obsessed. Without me broaching the subject, they mentioned how sick they were of getting ramps on every plate they ate.

[HungryC]

I've never seen ramps (they look like little leeks to me) growing in south Louisiana, but we don't have an abundance of wild, open woodland spaces...our dry land is heavily cultivated and/or developed, and our forest/woodland areas tend to be pretty wet for a good portion of the year. I'm familiar with wild onions, which grow in abundance all over meadows & fields, and even in backyards. These have a pungent odor and rather bitter flavor.

Central & north Louisiana's woodlands tend to be pine-dominated, managed forests run by the timber/pulp/paper industry. You might try contacting someone at the Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve (Briarwood) near Saline in Natchitoches Parish http://www.cp-tel.net/dormon/ If anyone knows where to find ramps in LA, those folks will know, or will connect you with someone who does. She was an early LA conservationist who wrote a good guide to LA native plants. It was reprinted by Claitor's in the late 80s early 90s...if you can find it, get a copy.

[MikeHartnett]

Any luck on finding ramps? I assume that they won't grow this far south. Surely Whole Foods imports that kind of thing, although I haven't seen them.

I never tried one, but I would certainly like to.

The northeast food media sure makes a big fuss about ramps every season. Sounds like they've become something of cliché in New York. Last May, I was visiting some friends who are interested in food but not obsessed. Without me broaching the subject, they mentioned how sick they were of getting ramps on every plate they ate.

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No luck. I must admit, though, that I didn't really look all that hard. I sort of gave up and pitied myself when I heard everyone else going nuts over them.

[MikeHartnett]

I've never seen ramps (they look like little leeks to me) growing in south Louisiana, but we don't have an abundance of wild, open woodland spaces...our dry land is heavily cultivated and/or developed, and our forest/woodland areas tend to be pretty wet for a good portion of the year.  I'm familiar with wild onions, which grow in abundance all over meadows & fields, and even in backyards.  These have a pungent odor and rather bitter flavor.

Central & north Louisiana's woodlands tend to be pine-dominated, managed forests run by the timber/pulp/paper industry.  You might try contacting someone at the Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve (Briarwood) near Saline in Natchitoches Parish http://www.cp-tel.net/dormon/  If anyone knows where to find ramps in LA, those folks will know, or will connect you with someone who does.  She was an early LA conservationist who wrote a good guide to LA native plants.  It was reprinted by Claitor's in the late 80s early 90s...if you can find it, get a copy.

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I'll give that a try. Thanks for the info!

[Brian Brenner]

I've never seen ramps (they look like little leeks to me) growing in south Louisiana, but we don't have an abundance of wild, open woodland spaces...our dry land is heavily cultivated and/or developed, and our forest/woodland areas tend to be pretty wet for a good portion of the year.  I'm familiar with wild onions, which grow in abundance all over meadows & fields, and even in backyards.  These have a pungent odor and rather bitter flavor.

Central & north Louisiana's woodlands tend to be pine-dominated, managed forests run by the timber/pulp/paper industry.  You might try contacting someone at the Caroline Dormon Nature Preserve (Briarwood) near Saline in Natchitoches Parish http://www.cp-tel.net/dormon/  If anyone knows where to find ramps in LA, those folks will know, or will connect you with someone who does.  She was an early LA conservationist who wrote a good guide to LA native plants.  It was reprinted by Claitor's in the late 80s early 90s...if you can find it, get a copy.

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I order them from a specialty purveyor called Earthy Delights here in Michigan. I'm sure they will ship to NO. Ramps are wild baby leeks and have a wonderful onion/garlic flavor. We tend to go nuts serving them as they are only in season for a short time and are not available cultivated. In addition I think in the more northern states we are especially excited to see them because they are a true sign of warming weather!