Ramp Season!

For anybody lucky enough to live in an area that enjoys the five to six week season of ramps---sometimes called wild leeks---the season is getting ready to close, I think.

Ramps look like scallions, sort of, near the bottom, with white fading to red stalks, but instead of a tube the entire way up, like a scallion, the green part flattens out to look like a blade of grass.

Oh man, they're good...the flavor is a cross between onions and garlic, and simple pasta dishes using only them and a pinch of red pepper flakes really enhance and bring out the ramp flavor. here's a recipe.

Ramp Pasta

sliced stalks of ramp, a third or half a cup per person

saute in oil, add pinch of salt and pinch of red pepper flakes

saute until clear and soft

add white wine, lightly covering the bottom of the pan, reduce by half

add 1 tbsp butter, turning off the heat to mix the butter in

add the cooked pasta

add the sliced green leaves of the ramp, tossing everything together