Stumbling upon a patch of ramps yesterday, my husband and I immediately began hauling these wild leeks out of the ground, using sticks as leverage to reach down into the soil and loosen the roots’ grip. It wasn’t our intention to go foraging yesterday, merely to enjoy our wedding anniversary with a walk in the woods on a gorgeous day, binoculars slung around our necks, with a tote bag filled with our bird field guide, a hiking guide and water bottles. Thank goodness for the tote bag, because we stuffed it full of these ramps, still only taking a little bit of the bounty being offered to us by the earth, but wishing we could take it all.
As we hiked back to the car, the gentle garlicky smell was driving me wild and my mind went on a cooking reverie, plotting a batch of ramp pesto, and also some ramp kimchi, and wouldn’t some pork dumplings with ramps be divine? And ramp quiche! I wanted it all. When we got home, daylight was waning but I moved quickly and managed to take a photo of the ramps to showcase their beauty – I love that blush of red on the stems leading into the elegant leaves, and the tangle of roots that hide beneath the soil’s surface, a wonderful contrast in texture.
Now, what should I make with them?
Photography & Inspiration 