RAMPS

Ah, the wonderful, flavorful, edible, ramp.  You’d have to be from here to appreciate these delectable plants.  My first conversation about ramps went something like this:

You ever tried ramps?

What’s a ramp?

It’s an onion-type thing; you eat it.

Yea, right.  When I was a kid, we would angle a flat board on a log and launch our bicycles off of the “jump ramp”. I've heard of a wheel chair ramp, skateboard ramp, even an aircraft ramp; but I've never heard of a ramp you could eat.

It took a whole year before I found out they were serious; ramps are actually a leek that grows wild and pops up in early spring; they are about the size of a typical green onion and have a zesty, onion like flavor. 

Ramp dinners are popular and the locals either love them or hate them.  They have a wonderful flavor, but if you overindulge, you will "reek of the leek" (pun intended) the next day.  But this is true for onions and garlic.

The picture is of a couple of ramps I pulled from the back yard, dirt still intact. Mmmmm, good; will fry these with some sausage and potatoes; ok, after I wash off the mud.☺

Ramp Dinners

Also known as ramp feeds, these events are often sponsored by local churches and groups as fund raisers; a lot of work goes into cleaning, cooking and serving ramps. We visited the Washington Bottom Community Building Association's annual ramp dinner and wrote about the event; you'll find the page in the events button on the left, or you can click here.