Ramp it up.

Doesn’t everyone love getting something for free?  We certainly do!  That’s why we love finding the hidden stashes of Mother Nature.  When we returned home from this season’s wild leek scavenger hunt, we couldn’t wait to eat them (like everything, the shorter the time between their home in the ground and their home in your stomach, the better)

Wild Leeks (ramp) have a very mild flavor which is why they are commonly used to season soups and salads, but we think they are delicious enough to eat all on their own, and a simple preparation is better (and quicker) than a more complex one.

Wild Leek Sautee

Ingredients:

One tablespoon of bacon renderings

Tw0-three dozen ramps

Preparation:

Clean the ramps thoroughly of dirt and grit.  Cut off the roots from the bulb and the top one inch of leaves and discard in your compost pot.

Next, cut off the bulb portion and place in sautee pan with renderings on low-to-medium heat (the bulb takes longer to cook than the leaves)

While the bulb is starting to cook, cut the leaves into approximately one-inch pieces then toss into sautee pan.

Cook on low heat for 10 minutes or until bulbs are tender.

We tossed in a handful of pine nuts because they happened to be sitting in the pantry.

Serving suggestion:

We served the ramps with a fresh egg from the chicken coop and a piece of rosemary focaccia.   Simple and simply delicious.

Learn more about leeks at our Garden Party. If you’ve got a great recipe, don’t be stingy.  Share it with the rest of us in the comment section below.