This is my BFF Henry. Believe it or not he's 29 years young! He doesn't belong to me, but his owner, a wonderful old friend of mine is just so very generous with him and allows me to love him as if he was my own!
We've had alot of exciting adventures together for many years now, galloping around hunter trilas courses and taking long lovely trail rides and every spring we go foraging. As you can see he's a seriously good sport and carries my bag and hand - tools!
The woods where Henry lives are filled with Wild Ramps and today we went out togather some. Wild Ramps are a wonderful wild onion and you'll know when you're by a patch of them because you'll smell them. They've got all of the wonderful qualities that onions do and more. They're terrificly tonic for your blood and your joints and they're a strong , natural antibiotic/antibacterial , much like their domesticated cousins, the garlic clove.
If you're out hunting for ramps when you find a patch, only take a few and then move on to the next patch. Use a small hand tool to lift the plant, roots and all from the ground, you definitely want the bulb! If you want to try to plant some of them, make sure that you get some with roots and take a bit of the woodland soil to innoculate your soil with. Ramps like a shady, woodsy spot...I've never seen a patch in the open sunshine.
Get your ramps home, wash them, pat them dry and use them quickly. I love to make ramp butter which is so simple. ramps and butter in the cuisinart. That's it! How about Ramps stuffed inside of a roasted chicken or mashed into potatoes? How about wild ramps in a bloody mary with or without bacon!
If you don't have a patch nearby, you can find Ramps right now at the many farmers markets all over the country.They are truly seasonal food...the season is from early april until mid may. If you've never tried them , you've love them. If you can find enough of them and you like to can, pickle them! They are delicious!
What a lovely afternoon we had. I just love that horse:)
