Delayed spring means, for one, delayed ramp season. Yes, ramp season, something that really drives excitement and anticipation into the hearts of the city-slicker-foodsters, who are known to don rubber boots and heavy flannel and drive out of the city to greener pastures, attempting to forage their own before they’re all gone. For the rest of the world, ramp season comes and goes pretty much without notice, because a) it’s fleeting — only a few weeks depending on weather; and b) what are ramps, again?
Ramps, also known as wild leeks, wild garlic or spring onions, are native primarily to northeast climates and grow wild for a brief period in the spring. With small, delicate bulbs and leafy green stalks, they have a fairly pungent (but delicious) flavour that sits somewhere between garlic, leeks and green onions. As with all things that are only in season a short time, people go completely insane for ramps, so you’ve probably been seeing them pop up on seasonal spring menus at any locavore restaurant.
For me, they bring back this city girl’s sole memory of actual foraging, during a brief stint my family spent living in a small Ontario town backing onto the Niagara escarpment, which meant that I could actually find edible things in my backyard. I was invited to go leek-hunting with my neighbours, and after an afternoon of pulling these suckers out of the ground, was rewarded at dinner by enjoying them simply prepared, sautéed only with a pat of butter and sprinkled with some salt and pepper (according to my father, this caused me to smell like leeks for the better part of the week, but they were worth it. Also, I was 10, so I didn’t care).
Nowadays, I pretty much rely on farmer’s markets to find these, but they’re still worth seeking out for the short time they’re available. They’re delicious in omelettes, on pizza, with pasta or ground up into pesto, baked into breads and biscuits, pickled — you get the picture. One way to prolong your ability to boost up your meals with fresh ramp flavour is by making a compound butter that can be rolled into a log and frozen.
Compound butters are easy to make and are a great thing to have in your freezer to elevate many meals. Spread this ramp butter on fresh bread or use it to make a garlicky toast; put a pat of it on grilled fish or steak, melt it on fresh corn on the cob, stir it into pasta or use it to scramble some eggs or sauté some mushrooms. Use them in baked goods — I even used it to make some miniature ramp and cheddar scones for Mother’s Day. However, even if you miss ramp season, the method works for all kinds of other flavour combinations — a classic chive and garlic? Lime, chili and cilantro? A sweet compound butter with lemon, cinnamon and brown sugar? Do I need to keep talking writing? Go make some butter already.
Ramp butter
½ lb unsalted butter, softened
1 dozen ramps, well rinsed
1 tsp lemon zest
1 to 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
Large pinch kosher salt
1. Bring a large pot of water to boil and prepare an ice bath. Blanch the ramps by submerging into boiling water for about 30 seconds, then removing to an ice bath (this will stop them from cooking and help them retain their bright green colour).
2. When ramps are cool, squeeze any excess water out of them and pat dry with paper towels. Chop the ramps finely.
3. In a mixing bowl, combine the butter, ramps, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt, mashing together with a spoon until well mixed. You can also whiz the ingredients with the butter in a food processor, but you will probably get a more “green” butter.
4. Scoop butter out onto a piece of parchment or wax paper. Roll into a log and seal by twisting both ends, then refrigerate until firm or store butter in freezer — you can just cut off pieces as you are ready to use them. Compound butters will usually last about 5 days in the fridge and up to 3 months in the freezer.
Sara Chan is a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer, food enthusiast, unprofessional home chef and even less professional food photographer. Her favourite food group is pork.