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Spring “Wild Onion” Ramp Sauce Recipe

What exactly are Spring Ramps? They are a tasty, versatile variety of Wild Onion, perfect for early season recipes.

The ramp vegetable sprouts up in the early spring here in the Hudson Valley. The ramps taste is oniony with a dash of garlic. Available for only a short few weeks in the beginning of growing season, this versatile wild onion sates the natural craving for fresh, greens after a long, grey winter.

Forage or Buy?

If you happen upon a patch of ramps clumped in the forest on your property, lucky you! However, if no wild onions are to be had direct from the ground, many farmers markets in the East will have these available in starting in early spring. Look for strong, deep green leaves with a dash of burgundy purple on the stem towards the bulb.

My spring ramp sauce recipe comes together easily and is an easy way to taste these too quickly gone seasonal onions before they are done for the season.

The technique I use slowly simmers the ramps in milk, releasing the pungent aroma and producing a beautiful, lush green sauce.

Spring Ramp Sauce

thesiftedfield

This recipe makes a lightly seasoned, versatile sauce, allowing the spring like fresh flavor of the ramps to shine through. This sauce is a great white pizza topper, seafood accompaniment, or any other light fare that needs a simple, flavor kick up.

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 20 mins

Total Time 25 mins

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American, foraged, sauce

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

1 tsp. butter
1 small cipollini onion or shallot chopped
1 cup milk
2 oz. fresh ramps about 8 medium shoots
1/2 tbls flour
1/2 tsp parmesan cheese grated
Salt

Instructions

Melt butter over medium heat in medium sauce pan and add chopped onions. Cook onions until translucent, about 2-3 minutes.
Add milk and bring to a simmer over low heat.
Chop green, top parts of ramps into small, half inch pieces. Reserve the bottom half of the ramps; the bulbs, for another use. Add chopped ramps to simmering milk and cook over low heat for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Remove pan from heat and pour mixture into food processor or use immersion blender to combine into a light puree.
Add mixture back to saucepan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Remove a small portion (about a 1/4 cup) from pot and mix in separate bowl with flour until smooth and no lumps remain. Add back to saucepan and stir to incorporate.
Stir parmesan cheese in and cook until the sauce reaches your desired consistency. Season with salt to taste.