The Right Way to Eat (Wild) Leek
It’s ramp season, a season that causes mild panic even among the calmest and most sensible eaters. Do not misunderstand me; ramps are delicious – I like to wrap scallops in broad garlic leaves – but over-enthusiasm and mindless foraging can deplete wild leeks, leaving us with fewer ramps to find and enjoy each year.
But there is a proper way to harvest these wild alliums – or leeks, if you will – and you should learn how to do it before heading into the woods.
What is a ramp?
But before we get into how to harvest these tasty spring vegetables, let’s take a look at what they are :
These thin, tender boys look like leeks and have broad green leaves. Ramps are shady objects and are harvested from dark wooded areas. Their tangy, garlicky, onion flavor and short season (usually late April to early June) make them very popular, but you should be able to find them at your local farmers market or fancy pants grocery stores like Whole Foods.
There are two types of ramps: Allium tricoccum var. tricoccum with broader leaves and red stems, and Allium tricoccum var. burdickii with narrower leaves and white stems and a milder taste. As explained in this article from the wildedible.com foraging blog, you need to be sure that the broadleaf plant you are picking actually smells like garlic, as there are some toxic lookalikes (if in doubt, check with an experienced forager).
How to assemble a ramp
According to wildedible , the most sustainable way to assemble a ramp is to take a single leaf, leaving the minor leaves and root intact so that they can continue to function as a ramp source for years to come. If you just need a light bulb, don’t be greedy and pull it out entirely:
If you insist on taking the bulbs, carefully dig them out with a knife: simply insert the knife into the ground at an angle and cut off about a third of the root, leaving it in the ground to regrow. Then pull the rest of the plant out by the stems.
It takes a little practice to figure out where to put the knife. You can also carefully clean away any dirt around the bulb so you can see where you are cutting. If you do this, be sure to remove enough dirt to expose the bulb a little and cover the roots again after pruning.
You also need to make sure your knife is sharp – bring a small whetstone with you if you plan on doing a lot of cutting, as a dull knife can damage the plant. Give yourself enough time to take your time and don’t eat more than you can eat in a few days. The ramps are delicious, but the smell of rotten ramps is unequivocally disgusting, as is the loss of such a valuable vegetable.