Ramps!

[Jenise]

Went to Whole Foods yesterday and found fresh ramps. Excited, I grabbed two but pointed out to the produce guy loading lettuce nearby that these were ramps, not baby dill as the shelf description indicated. The guy guffaws and says something like "Oh, I knew that" and takes it down, replacing it with: Baby Leeks.

Went to Whole Foods yesterday and found fresh ramps. Excited, I grabbed two but pointed out to the produce guy loading lettuce nearby that these were ramps, not baby dill as the shelf description indicated. The guy guffaws and says something like "Oh, I knew that" and takes it down, replacing it with: Baby Leeks.

Like the times I argued my jicama wasn't a potato, and my Napa cabbage wasn't Romaine lettuce.

[Jenise]

Larry, if asked I'll answer honestly. But if not asked, and they mistake my $6/lb radicchio for $2/lb red cabbage, I'm perfectly okay with it. I figure it's karma for all the occasionally lousy produce I end up having to throw out.

Ha! Ramp confusion on West Coast.
Interested to hear what you do with them. Probably most straightforward (and what I usually do with first forage or buy of the year is grilled., Bulbs directly over heat, greens indirect. Dress lightly with a vinaigrette (sherry vinegar). Often do a ramp/mushroom risotto, but for every recipe I've seen need to double ramps (and still not ideal if not used to- ramps are subtle compared to their cousins). Good scrambled with eggs or in omelets. We love to pickle, but not if you just have 2 bunches (and likely expensive). I look forward to what you do and how you like it.

Probably most straightforward (and what I usually do with first forage or buy of the year is grilled., Bulbs directly over heat, greens indirect. Dress lightly with a vinaigrette (sherry vinegar)...

Interesting to hear what is the most straightforward for different people. As I live in an apartment, sauteeing is always the most straightforward!

Ramps have been going in the Manhattan farmers markets for at least a month now. Probably over soon. I basically treat them like a green/herb and use them in any dish where I would use other greens, sautees, pasta, pizza topping, bean topping, etc. And I end up with lots of the bulbs around to chop up and treat like garlic cloves, because this time of year also has such beautiful green garlic, spring onions, etc, I can't use them as fast as I buy them!

Here is info on Ramps. I knew they were related to leeks, so it is not unusual for them to be called wild leeks.
https://www.foodandwine.com/vegetables/ ... bout-ramps

I encounter a lot of confusion regarding types of chiles in both produce department signage and ringing them up at the cash register. Confusion between jalapenos and serranos is the most common case. It's a good thing we never see rocotillos around here. Someone buying a Scotch bonnet or habanero thinking it's a rocotillo is in for a nasty surprise.

-Paul W.

Larry, if asked I'll answer honestly. But if not asked, and they mistake my $6/lb radicchio for $2/lb red cabbage, I'm perfectly okay with it. I figure it's karma for all the occasionally lousy produce I end up having to throw out.

No problem with that.

I encounter a lot of confusion regarding types of chiles in both produce department signage and ringing them up at the cash register. Confusion between jalapenos and serranos is the most common case. It's a good thing we never see rocotillos around here. Someone buying a Scotch bonnet or habanero thinking it's a rocotillo is in for a nasty surprise.

-Paul W.

We have a large Mexican-American populations here in our little town in flyover country, so no shock that the grocery stores have upped their variety of fresh chiles in recent years. That doesn't help the checkout staff, however, who remain utterly clueless about any chile other than a Jalapeño. I've had to edumacate many of them about the identity of the Poblanos, Serranos and the occasional chile de arbol that I'm trying to buy (we don't buy habaneros because we grow them)

[Jenise]

I've just learned that the wild garlic my French friends rave about is actually ramps. Sounds better and in flavor has more similarity with garlic than "baby leeks"!

[Jenise]

Oh, meant to add thanks to Dale for his description of direct/indirect grilling. That's exactly what I did on my indoor grill, putting the leaves off the grill entirely until the bases or stem ends, whatever's the right word, were grilled. Then I pulled the leaves on and briefly wilted them --maybe 45 seconds. Outstanding combination in a toss with the lemony potatoes and as a side dish for lamb chops.