I frequently meet people at the farmers’ markets who are intrigued by ramps but hesitant to buy them. They have all shared the same concerns – they don’t know what to make with them or they worry that the ramps will go bad before they can use them. My suggestion has been to preserve them. It's easy to make small batch condiments that can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer until you’re ready to use them.
These three recipes are based on buying ramps at the farmers market in the NYC area by the bunch which has generally worked out to be about 1/2 lb per bunch and around 20-25 ramps per bunch. Occasionally, I also see smaller 1/4 lb bunches. So think of these recipes as guidelines, each one is easy to scale up, make all three or pick one or two and play around a little.
Ramp Compound Butter
Ingredients:
8 oz unsalted butter
8 to 12 ramps
Juice and zest of half a lemon
Pinch of finely ground red pepper
Salt (I prefer Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt)
Ground pink peppercorn
Directions:
Bring the butter to room temperature. Gently clean ramps with a damp cloth or paper towel. Finely chop ramp roots and stems, roughly chop leaves. Cut room temperature butter into cubes. Using an immersion blender or food processor, blend butter, ramps, and lemon juice until bright green and whipped together. Add salt, lemon zest, red pepper, and pink peppercorn to taste.
Alternatively, you can also make a ramp compound butter without an immersion blender or food processor: Bring 8 oz of butter to room temperature. Finely mince the ramps (bulb, pink stem, and leaf). Using a fork, whip together the finely minced ramps, lemon juice, and lemon zest together until blended. Season with salt, red pepper, and pink peppercorn to taste. Note: It won’t be vibrant green, it will look like a traditional compound butter.
To freeze it, place the compound butter onto parchment paper, roll it into a cylinder, and twist the ends. Next, wrap it with two layers of foil. It will be good for several months, I have some that lasted for a year. I also like to freeze it in 2 oz portions which is really convenient.
Now, how to use it? It is great on a grilled steak or fish. Try roasting a chicken with some of the compound butter tucked under the skin. Use it in place of garlic butter in a shrimp scampi. Slather it on hot baguettes and serve it with scrambled eggs, meatballs and tomato sauce, or a bouillabaisse. It is delicious on a baked potato or with roasted asparagus.
Small Batch Ramp Pesto
Ingredients:
12 ramps
¾ cup olive oil
1/2 to 3/4 cup unsalted dry roasted hazelnuts
3/4 cup grated toscano (or parmesean or pecorino )
Juice of half a lemon and zest
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In this order, place ¾ cup olive oil, lemon juice and zest, chopped ramps, and 1/2 cup of hazelnuts into a blender or small food processor and blend until incorporated. Add more hazelnuts if desired or if the pesto is too loose. Put the mixture into a bowl and stir in the cheese and then season with salt and pepper. Add more oil or lemon as needed. It will be good for at least a week in the refrigerator and up to six months or more in the freezer.
Small Batch Quick Ramp Pickles
Ingredients:
1 cup rice vinegar
1 cup water
5 tbsp honey
12 ramps
1 tbsp pink peppercorn
1 /2 tbsp black peppercorn
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp fennel seed
1 tsp juniper berry
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or more to taste )
Directions:
Bring the rice vinegar and water to a simmer, then add sugar and salt. Stir until dissolved. Add spices and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for a few minutes until flavors are incorporated. Remove from stove. Place cleaned ramps into a heat safe jar. Pour the hot seasoned vinegar mixture over the ramps. Add water to cover if necessary. Allow to cool, when the mixture is warm to the touch or at room temperature place lid on jar and store in the refrigerator. They will be pickled within five days but they are better after ten days or more and hold up nicely in the refrigerator for a few months. I have some that have lasted for up to a year. This recipe is for whole ramps, if you are using the roots only, this recipe is good for for 20+ trimmed ramps.
Bonus: The ramps will flavor the vinegar and can be used in vinaigrettes.
