If you consider yourself a foodie, chances are you’re gearing up for ramp season right about now. Because of their finicky growing habits, ramps are only in season from April to June, but *thankfully* you can find them all over the country. What do they taste like? A pungent yet balanced blend of garlic and onion that complements so many recipes. You’ll find them in dinner specials at your favorite restaurant and probably all over your Instagram feed for the next few weeks. Take a farmers’ market shopping tip from us and stock up on all the ramps you can carry in your cute DIY tote, because these 16 recipes are calling your name.
1. Ramp Spiked Dijon YogurtSalad Dressing: This creamy dressing really allows for the garlic character of the ramp to shine. Since it’s less pungent than raw garlic, it’s great for using in a raw recipe. Serve on a bed of kale with tender seared steak for a date-night meal worthy of a five-star restaurant. (via The Ali Conklin)
2. Spring Potato Salad With Ramps and Radishes: Roll up to a spring barbecue with this potato salad in hand and you’ll make family foodie history. Plus, you can find all of the seasonal ingredients at the farmers’ market. Yay for one-stop shopping! (via Relishing It)
3. The Most Delicious Ramp Butter: Whipping up a compound butter is the easiest way to infuse the essence of ramps into multiple dishes. Whether you’re slathering it on crostini or a baked potato, you’ll fall in love with the simple flavor hack. Make sure to prepare extra and freeze it so you can have delicious ramp butter year round. (via Nerds With Knives)
4. Ramp Pesto Pizza With Razor Clams: Making pesto with a fresh batch of ramps is an amazing way to utilize their distinctive taste. This pesto is seasoned simply with sunflower seeds and Parmesan cheese, so it serves as a great base for pizzas and sandwiches. (via Wild Greens and Sardines)
5. Ramp and Mushroom Quiche: Ramps go bad within a day or so, which means you may want to incorporate them into all of your meals for a couple days. This quiche is great for a spring brunch. (via Two of a Kind)
6. Ramp Sausage Lasagna: Since you can’t exactly preserve ramps themselves (unless you pickle them), it’s smart to use them in a dish that freezes well. Lasagna is a great make-ahead meal, so you can have that elusive ramp goodness even in November. (via Local Kitchen Blog)
7. Hazelnut and Wild Ramp Pesto Crostini: You might want to think of an excuse to have a party just so you can make this crostini while ramps are in season. Maybe if you have a ton of foodie friends you can have a ramp recipe exchange? (via JJ Begonia)
8. Ramp Risotto With Blue Cheese: This luxurious risotto uses the bulb and the greens of the ramp to season the dish in two different ways. The bulb is added early on to soften the pungent bite and infuse the taste throughout the risotto. The greens are blanched and pureed, then stirred in at the end to take the flavor up another notch. (via Earthy Delights Blog)
9. Ramp Tacos: You don’t have to go out of your way to make ramp-specific recipes; incorporating them into your regular dinner rotation is a great way to use up your bounty. These vegan tacos are a perfect choice for meatless Monday or taco Tuesday. (via Plate and Pencil)
10. Ramp Vichyssoise With Crisp Fried Ramp Greens: This chilled soup is perfect for those warm, late-spring days. Ramps are the primary ingredient for the soup as well as the crispy topper, adding an extra crunch to zest things up. (via Earthy Delights Blog)
11. Ramp and Goat Cheese Puffs: It’s not every day that an appetizer outshines every other dish. These cheese puffs are dense, moist and full of fresh spring vibrancy. They would be perfect alongside a big Sunday dinner with the whole fam around the table. (via Three Little Halves)
12. Ravioli With Ramps and Ricotta: When cooking with ramps, you want to make sure you’re using the highest quality ingredients possible to pay tribute to its special flavor. Homemade pasta, fresh ricotta and a simple tomato sauce are all you need to make sure your ramps shine. (via Perpetually Hungry)
13. Savory Steel-Cut Oats With Ramps, Parmesan and Tamari: Ramps and oats… Have we gone mad? Trust us on this one — you’ll go nuts for this yummy dish packed with umami. And you don’t have to use the whole ramp for every recipe. This bowl of savory oats only uses the greens, so you can save the bulbs for another recipe. (via Simple Bites)
14. Spaghetti With Ramp Pesto: A big batch of ramp pesto can be used in many different dishes, because you can treat it just as you would regular basil pesto. Pair it with al dente pasta and a glass of Chardonnay for an elegant dinner in a flash. (via The Optimalist Kitchen)
15. Wild Rice Bowl With Ramps, Asparagus and Snap Peas: Earthy wild rice is a perfect match for seasonal veggies like ramp, asparagus and snap peas. This nutritious bowl of goodness is as hearty as it is healthy. (via A Better Happier St. Sebastian)
16. Wild Garlic and Farro Soup: This is a simple soup with an intense wallop of flavor. The tart pomegranate is a great topping since the rest of the dish is so prominently seasoned with the savory wild garlic we know and love as ramps. (via Recipes from a Pantry)
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Paige Johnson
Paige is a blogger, food writer and culinary master from Louisville, Ky. She's a newlywed who's obsessed with dogs and renovating her 117 year old home. When she's not working on her blog — My Modern Cookery — you can find her binge watching F.R.I.E.N.D.S with a triple shot latte in-hand.
