Spring is in the Air

Spring is here, and it brought ramps with it! I was not really looking forward to getting back to the city after a great weekend on Pensacola Beach. First- 

Congratulations Patrick and Julie 

and thanks for a wonderful weekend. 

We had a blast at the wedding... and before too!

Now, back to the ramps. This afternoon when I got into work, one of the other Chefs- who lives upstate- had spent her afternoon picking ramps and brought me this beautiful bunch of fresh ramps. These beauties made the trek back north worth the while. 

Spring is without a doubt, the most exciting time to visit the Farmer's Market. As the first warm days move in, the colors of the market change. Stands turn from the varied tones of brown and orange- Winter's trademark root vegetables, that have seemed as if they'd never leave, to brilliant shades of green. Fava beans, sweet peas, lettuces, asparagus, onion shoots- it's terribly exciting. But I think that the most exciting of all are ramps. 

What makes them so special? 

Ramps cannot be grown on a farm. They only grow in the wild, the tougher the terrain the better and the HAVE to be harvested by hand. Digging down, slipping fingers between rocks to grab the aromatic plants by the roots and then gently tugging them out of the Earth to preserve their tender stems.

Ramps, sometimes known as Wild Leeks, have a flavor that is like nothing else. A cross, somewhere between a sweet version of garlic with hints of leeks and shallots. And the greens are just as delicious as the stems. I'll be cooking them in the next couple days- stay tuned!