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Among the many benefits connected with eating and cooking local and seasonal foods is the excitement of discovering new ingredients and recipes that weren’t previously on your radar. Our ongoing series, In Season, will investigate the presence of new and possibly unusual or unfamiliar goods showing up at your local farmers market or in your CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) shares. We will be highlighting seasonal foods from all around the US and Canada, so if you have any suggestions, please email us at blog@eatwellguide.org.

First, let me introduce myself. I’m Chelsea DeWitt and I am the Program Coordinator at the Eat Well Guide. I am also an avid experimenter in the kitchen and audacious eater. Over the past two years I’ve started buying the majority of my food locally, and therefore seasonally, from local markets and through my CSA share. In this endeavor I have become mindful of a concept that I was formerly oblivious to—food seasonality. From this increased awareness I have learned the ways of the seasonal chef and eater and now enjoy a deeper connection to what is going on in the world around me through the food growing in my region.

I first encountered ramps last spring during a stroll around the New York City Union Square Farmers Market. As I wandered around eyeing the newly surfaced springtime specialty items, I caught site of an unfamiliar broad, green, smooth leaf with a reddish stem and white bulb (or weed, as it’s referred to by the National Gardening Association). Little did I know that this garlicky and sharp-tasting delicacy had such a strong following among chefs and eaters alike—strong enough that one vendor has put together a large sign with cooking tips from different chefs in the City who come to hoard ramps by the bunch-full.

The emergence of Ramps, or wild leeks (Allium tricoccum), constitutes an ephemeral period of about five weeks in early spring when they shoot out of the ground in a race against the leaves of the hardwood trees that will soon open up and shade them out. Aside from symbolizing the beginning of spring, ramps are also known to alert mushroomers (especially those of the Morel Hunter variety) of the imminent season.

Here are some more facts about ramps:

Growing Season: Foraged from late March through June.

Cultivation: Woodlands and forests from South Carolina to Canada–especially popular in West Virginia and the Canadian province of Quebec (where ramps are actually considered an endangered species).

Taste and Smell: Combination of onion and garlic, and the odor is known to be particularly pungent.

Preparation: Both the leaves and bulbs can be eaten–chop them up or sauté whole.

Dishes: Soups, casseroles, rice dishes and potato dishes. Ramps with scrambled eggs is also a favorite.

Events: Ramp festivals continue to be an annual tradition in the Appalachian Mountain and Plateau regions. Watch this video from Richwood, West Virginia, “Ramp Capital of the World,” and if you’re in the Mid-Atlantic, check out one of these upcoming ramp festivals:

Mathias, WV–Jenkins Chapel Annual Ramp Dinner, (May 03, 2008)
Romney, WV—Annual Ramp Dinner, (May 4, 2008)
Cosby, TN–55th Annual Cosby Ramp Festival, (May 4, 2008)
Waynesville, NC–Waynesville Ramp Convention, (May 04, 2008)
Flag Pond, TN—Ramp Festival, (May 10, 2008 )
Whitetop, VA—Whitetop Mountain Ramp Festival, (May 18, 2008)
Crossnore, NC—Boone County Ramp Festival, (May, 24-25, 2008)

Trivia: The name for the city of Chicago is said to originate from “Checagou” (Chick-Ah-Goo-Ah) or “Checaguar,” which in the Potawatomi language means “wild onions” or “skunk.” It is believed that the area was named this because of the smell of rotting wild leeks (ramps) in the marshland that used to occupy the region.

For information about what’s in season in your local area, visit our Seasonal Food Guides page on the Eat Well Guide or search for farmers markets or CSAs in your area!

Ramp Recipe:

Alice’s Ramp and Potato Gratin
Recipe from Alice Feiring featured in the The New York Times

½ pound ramps
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
8 ounces Gruyère or extra-sharp Cheddar, grated
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
2 pounds red-skinned potatoes (or potato of choice) of similar size
2 cups half-and-half
3 sprigs of thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Optional: red pepper flakes.

(Note: You can never use too many ramps or too much cheese in this dish. Adjust up or down depending on taste.)

1. Sauté ramps in olive oil until wilted, with a dash of pepper flakes if you like a kick. Combine the cheeses and reserve a cup for the topping.

2. Wash the potatoes, peel if you like (I don’t) and slice them into very thin rounds, using a mandoline or a sharp knife.

3. Oil a 9-by-12-inch heavy, shallow baking dish, preferably earthenware or cast enamel.

4. In a small saucepan, bring the half-and-half to a simmer with thyme and add, generously, salt and pepper. Remove the thyme and set the mixture aside.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

6. Arrange about one-fourth of the potatoes in a layer on the bottom of the dish. Season as you go. Evenly layer in about one-third of the ramps, sprinkling cheese and a few spoons of half-and-half; repeat twice, finishing with a layer of potatoes. Pour the rest of the half-and-half over the potato mixture, allowing the liquid to hit just below the top layer of potatoes. Top off with the remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake until the potatoes feel tender, about one hour.

7. Raise the oven temperature to 425 degrees, remove the foil and bake until the top begins to brown, about 10 minutes.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings.