16 Ramp Recipes to Use Up Your Farmers’ Market Bounty (2024)

FAQs

What to do with pickled ramps? ›

Use Pickled Ramps in your gremolata. Mince together Italian leaf parsley, pickled ramps and lemon zest. Use as a topping for grilled fish, vegetables and mixed into pasta. Incorporate into your aioli for your fish, meats and vegetables.

Think of ramp salt as a finishing salt you can add to different dishes at the last minute. I like a sprinkle on eggs and roasted potatoes, as well as using it to finish fish and steaks like you would other finishing salts. It's also great used to finish homemade hash browns.

Ramps can be eaten raw, like green onions or scallions, but they're frequently cooked down, like leeks. While they aren't as hardy as leeks, the leaves are much more resilient to heat than the delicate shoots of chives or scallions, so don't be afraid to add some to a stir-fry or side of sautéed greens.

Sprinkle raw ramps into salads, on scrambled eggs, over the top of tacos, or on a baked potato with sour cream. You can cook whole ramps by tossing them lightly in olive oil and searing in a grill pan or on a hot barbecue. Ramps can be chopped up and cooked into everything from quiche to pasta dishes.

ramp season (a very short season), chefs clamor to get these wild onions into their kitchens: They're delicious, like garlicky leeks, and can be pickled, fried, grilled, turned into pesto, and more.

From their small white bulb that resembles a spring onion to their large green leaves, every part of a ramp—except the roots at the end of the bulb—is edible, whether raw or cooked.

Once they are dried, you simply pulverize them into a powder that can be sprinkled atop roasted meat or vegetables, blended with salt for a custom seasoning, and mixed into sauces and dressings.

Technique and foods

In each case the aim is to lock in moisture, protect the food from drying, ensure even cooking, and maximise the flavour.

How much do ramps cost? Ramps are priced like they're in demand: While guides tend to estimate prices around $20 per pound or $5 for a small bunch, ramps went for $34.99 per pound last season from the specialty food purveyor D'Artagnan.

Can I freeze ramps? ›

There are lots of ways to preserve ramps, from canning to pickling to kimchi, but I prefer freezing. The leaves turn mushy and a little bit gross after freezing but the bulbs are fine. To get around the problem, I freeze the bulbs whole but turn the leaves into pesto. Slice off the roots and discard.

Place ramps on hot side of grill and cook, turning occasionally, until tender and charred, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a serving platter, drizzle with more olive oil, and serve.

A general rule with ramps is that they work in any recipe for green onions or scallions, or, if you get ramp bulbs later in spring, you can treat them like boiling onions.

"Ramps, to me, are best grilled at a medium-high temperature until they are tender and charred. They are excellent served as the condiment to a moist white fish like halibut or bass and brushed with a touch of honey, soy, and mustard. This is an ultra healthy alternative and loaded with flavor."

There are lots of ways to preserve ramps, from canning to pickling to kimchi, but I prefer freezing. The leaves turn mushy and a little bit gross after freezing but the bulbs are fine. To get around the problem, I freeze the bulbs whole but turn the leaves into pesto. Slice off the roots and discard.

Ramps are so highly sought that they are one of the most over-harvested wild edibles. They grow slowly and it takes a long time for wild populations to recover if a forager takes too many. Through present throughout New Hampshire, they are quite rare.

"I really enjoy ramps in the uncooked state. We like to macerate them into vinaigrettes, marinades, condiments, or just raw, finely sliced. You can use them interchangeably with any recipe calling for garlic. The season is so short that I kind of like the idea of savoring the pungent flavor that can stick with you.