By Elaine Collier
In the merry month of May, one of the culinary pleasures of country life in our community is the appearance of wild leeks, or “ramps,” as they are called locally. Every spring the ramps show up – some in open forest places you can easily see, and others more mysteriously protected from prying eyes until they make their way into neighbourhood frying pans. The annual Singhampton Ramp Romp is now over and done for yet another successful year. I was frankly bowled over by the stats in last week’s Echo about the event -– over 25,000 ramps typically consumed during one dinner. That’s a lot of ramp wrangling going on behind the scenes!
We have a few patches of wild leeks in our mini-forest. We are always on the lookout to see the green shoots pop up amongst the dead leaves of last autumn – sometimes this takes a bit of detective work but it is always worth it. Both the white root and the green leaves are edible, the flavour being a cross between an onion and strong garlic. Some people eat them raw, but many say the aroma of ramps will stay with you for days. That may be why old folklore says they provide protection from vampires!
It’s a relatively short time span to enjoy ramps. When they aren’t freshly available, regular leeks or green onions can be substituted in your cooking, but the flavour will be different. The first recipe I created using ramps was inspired by Georgi Denison at the Echo, who originally gave me my first batch of wild leeks way back when and taught me how to identify them. In any recipe using them, you don’t want to get too fancy with your ingredients. It’s important to keep it simple so that the unique flavour of this delectable green shines clearly through.
This week I’ve created a recipe that hopefully respects the wild leek’s distinctive taste in a quick and easy side dish. Mushrooms are an interesting pairing – they are not strong-flavoured on their own, but add some substance. And if you’re still foraging for more, I wish you good luck in your quest to find these little mysterious forest dwellers!
Feedback is great and I would love to hear from you. Comments on my recipes, your own favourite recipes, or requests for future columns – it is all welcome. Just email me at elaine@avalonclearview.com. Until next time, eat well, live well…
Wild Leek and Mushroom Medley – Serves 4 as side dish
1 pound mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/4 cup white wine
1 pound fresh wild leeks, cleaned and cut into small chunks
2 tablespoons butter
Pinch of sea salt
Squeeze of fresh lemon juice
In a large frying pan over medium heat, add canola oil and sliced mushrooms. Sauté until they start to “sweat” or release moisture, then pour in the white wine. Reduce heat to a simmer and continue cooking until the majority of liquid is absorbed. Remove sautéed mushrooms from the pan and keep warm.
Add butter to frying pan and turn heat back to medium. Add chopped wild leeks and sauté until almost cooked through but still slightly crisp. Add a pinch of salt to enhance the flavour. Add cooked mushrooms back into pan and mix together. Serve immediately topped with a quick squeeze of fresh lemon juice.