Upstate-Downtown

By Christopher Matthews

Spring has been a halting, chilly affair in the Northeast this year. Come to think of it, this describes most of the recent springs in our part of the world. But despite the Mud Season’s lack of consistent sun and warmth, there’s one thing I always look forward to in April: foraging for ramps.

Ramps (Allium tricoccum)

A.k.a. wild leeks, and a member of the onion family — imagine a cross between   scallions, leeks and garlic — you can find ramps growing from South Carolina to Quebec, but they are often associated with (and celebrated in) Appalachia as the first, tonic green to eat after the long winter. They are common in the Hudson Valley as well, even growing near roadsides if you look closely (avoid these — they absorb too many toxins from road sludge). And locally, their notoriety is on the rise: on April 30, Rampfest 2011 will take place in Hudson, NY, where Hudson Valley chefs will serve up dishes using the “first forageable green, spring delicacy and wild onion of myth and mystery.”

They have certainly made their way down the mountainside, into the culinary mainstream. Continue reading →