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| Ramps Pesto |
This pesto is quite tasty and pungent. Robert like to spread it thickly on a slice of bread, I like it over hot pasta. The ramps greens can be quickly blanched and shocked in ice water before processing to soften the garlic burn, but we find it is fine used raw. We then freeze 4 oz. portions in small plastic cups to use all year.
This recipe is available in our book, available Spring 2016.
http://www.skyhorsepublishing.com/book/?GCOI=60239108626260&
I'd make Garlic Mustard Pesto instead, which is delicious and also ready to harvest. There are a limited number of native ramps out there in CT...see an article in the NYTimes about overharvesting. On the other hand, Garlic Mustard is an invasive species that grows everywhere. The more that's harvested, the better.
ReplyDeleteI only know of two locations in my town where ramps grow, and the patches are small, so I'm going to try and transplant some due to their native status. I keep the locations secret so people do not harvest them.
I would suggest harvesting the way the Native Americans did: But collecting only the tops of the leaves, so the plant is not killed.
We do make garlic mustard pesto, and are now harvesting the flower stalks to cook like a green vegetable.
ReplyDeleteThe NYT article is a bit overly alarmist, and I HAVE stated that in the spring we only pick the greens, we do not dig up the bulb and whole plant. We know of at least 8 patches, and we find more all the time. Transplanting them is iffy at best, and it takes many many years for a patch to establish itself. We have also tried collecting the seeds in autumn and planting them, with no success so far.