So I went to the farmer's market like every Saturday, and as I walked up to the Sheldon Farms table intending to pick up some potatoes for the week, I saw that they had these funny bundles of baby leek looking things. In fact, I thought they were actually just young leeks. But I decided to ask about them just the same, rather than run on assumptions, and it turns out they were bundles of ramps.
As I mentioned before, I'm re-reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, and as it happens I finished the chapter that mentions ramps just the other day. They apparently grow wild in the Appalachians, and spring is full of ramp festivals around the region. They're sort of garlicky and oniony in flavor, and back in the day they were used in some sort of smelly spring tonic.
Naturally I was overcome with excitement at the idea. They were selling them in such big bundles that I'm unsure how I'll ever use them all, especially since they seem to be so strong that they made the entire car reek on the way back - from the trunk!
I can't wait to see what I can make 'em into. Thank God my boyfriend is in this locavore thing with me; there's a much better chance he'll be understanding of my reeking of ramps for the next couple of weeks that way.
I unfortunately have a tendency to be better with ideas than with follow-through, so I'm grateful that you're around to help keep me going with it-it's easier with a partner. At this point my meat, eggs and dairy are pretty much exclusively local, and I do a few local fruits and vegetables. I used to visit the farmer's market sporadically, but now I feel good about going to it pretty much every Saturday.
ReplyDeleteSo... you don't mind the smelly wild onions then?
ReplyDeleteNot yet, but we'll see....
ReplyDelete