I’d like to point out that the longer the Everyman and I have been together, the more his predilection for terrible puns is rubbing off on me. It’s cheesy, I know, but at least it keeps things somewhat interesting around here.
It just so happens that it’s ramp season in Toronto right now. Tasty, tasty ramps. If you aren’t familiar with the humble ramp, perhaps you know it as a wild leek. Whatever you want to call it, it’s here and it’s delicious. Now get off your ass and go get some before they’re all gone. On second thought, don’t. That way there’ll be even more for me!
We happened to discover them while we were on our way to the cottage yesterday morning to spend some time with the Everyman’s parental units, during a pit stop at the Cheese Boutique to gather lunch provisions. As soon as we passed through the archway into the store proper, I saw a massive bowl brimming with the slender and vibrant green, white and lavender stalks. I’d had a short list of items I wanted to suss out for further home experimentation while we were there (hot Italian chillies for ‘nduja among them), but when I saw the ramps I let out a string of curses under my breath. I knew if I purchased them then, they’d be dead by the time I got home, and I didn’t have the equipment or time necessary to dispatch with them at the cottage. This meant leaving them behind, all the while knowing that this could be the only time I’d see them this year.
On the drive back home from the cottage this afternoon I managed to flex my feminine wiles and coerce the Everyman into stopping at the Cheese Boutique again. I made sure to call ahead beforehand and confirm that ramps were left, and when we arrived, I was not disappointed. It took me all of 5 seconds to make up my mind and buy up all the ramps they had left on display, which only amounted to about 420 grams; a bit of a luxury at $13 for the bag, but definitely an affordable one. On the drive home I mentally plotted what I planned to do with my newfound spring bounty. The primary goal was a jar of pickled ramps to be used for garnishing various meaty dishes, but the secondary agenda would be a sautéed ramp, bacon and parmagiano tart nestled in a puff pastry shell.
When we arrived back home I hunkered down in the kitchen and set to work cleaning the ramps. The biggest challenge was the fact that they were so incredibly tiny it made them tricky to peel. About an hour later, the ramps were cleaned, stripped and separated into sections; one small bowl full of stalks ready for pickling, and a second overflowing basin full of greens, which surprisingly resemble tulip fronds. Into a hot pan went equal measures of homemade butter and coffee olive oil and once slightly browned, the greens were added as well. After wilting them down to next to nothing, I refrigerated them for tomorrow’s tart shell, and got back to work on the pickle. Combining all the spices with vinegar and sugar, I let the mixture steep for 15 minutes, stuffed the ramps into a 1 litre jar and them poured the whole concoction over top. Aside from the fact that the ramps began floating to the top (which indicated to me that I really should’ve used the 500 mL jar instead and crammed it all in) overall the process went well, and in a few more days we should be ready to enjoy them. Here’s a copy of our pickle recipe, for anyone who’s interested.
Foodie’s Trampy Pickle
1 lb ramps, washed, trimmed, leaves removed
1 c. cider vinegar
1 c. water
0.5 c. sugar
0.25 c. honey
0.5 tbsp salt
1 tbsp coriander seed
1 tbsp mustard seed
1 tbsp peppercorns
0.75 tbsp chili flakes
3 allspice berries
1 bay leaf
Combine all ingredients except the ramps in a heavy bottomed saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil then turn off heat. Let steep for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. After steeping, bring contents of pan back up to a boil. Tightly pack whole ramps into a clean mason jar and ladle the hot vinegar mixture to within a quarter inch of the lip of the jar. Cap and seal jars, boiling in a hot water canner for 20 minutes for longer term storage. Allow to settle for 3 to 5 days before opening in order for flavor to properly develop.
Makes 1 litre jar.
Until next time…
Tags: New Projects, pickles, Preservation, Purveyors, ramps, Recipes, The Cheese Boutique, wild leeks
