The appearance of wild ramps is often heralded by the gourmet community with excitement and urgency. Last year I didn’t see any at the market myself, but this year I was pleasantly surprised to find them at the Grand Army Plaza Farmer’s Market. Despite the $16/pound price, I decided to pick some up and try them out.

Yoshi Yamada, former Babbo chef, posted this article on Gourmet.com about ramps, and included a few recipes. For my first foray into ramp cooking, I decided to go the simplest route and sear them in olive oil with salt and pepper, and a little lemon juice. With this recipe, says Yamada, you can “celebrate the end of winter.” The result, I have to say, was underwhelming. Chefs often refer to some flavors as “delicate,” which can be code for “non-existent.” There was the texture of scallions or spring onions, but hardly any flavor at all. I decided to add some parmesan to boost the flavor of the dish. I wondered if the lemon might have overpowered the ramps, so the next week I picked up ramps again.

This time at the market the lady behind the counter asked me if I had any favorite ramp recipes. I told her I did not, and asked if she had any ideas. She recommended chopping up the root end and adding them to scrambled eggs. Instead, i went back to Yamada and prepared his pasta dish, which he calls his “favorite pasta ever.” It’s pretty straightforward: rams, garlic, breadcrumbs, and cheese. Once again, I failed to detect any distinct flavor. I began to wonder if ramps weren’t a bit overrated, though I am certainly not alone in wondering this.

I bought ramps once again last week. The lady told me that this would probably be the last week they were available. “Savor them!” she called after me. I vowed to try. I did some research for more ramp recipes, and came across this blog post about ramp risotto. It was a little chilly on Monday, so when I got home from work I decided risotto would hit the spot.

I sauteed celery, carrot, and onion in olive oil, added rough chopped ramp roots and stems, and salt and pepper. Then came the rice, then some wine, and then intermittent additions of broth. When the risotto was almost done, I threw in the ramp leaves, julienned, and a handful of parmesan.

This was the best dish I had made with ramps, there was actually a light onion-y flavor that permeated the risotto, though I feel like I could have done that with onions alone. So why the big deal about ramps?

I think it has to do with the extreme seasonality of the ramps. They are only available for a few weeks, in late April and early May. The scarcity makes them sought after when they are available, and that is an impulse I understand completely. So despite the “delicate” flavor, I can’t wait until they are available again next year.

Posted by Howard

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