Extend Ramp Season by Making This Brilliant Infusion

The ramp season is fairly short, with these wild leeks making an appearance from early spring until early summer. But there’s an easy way to get that distinctive, almost horseradish-like flavor to last beyond the short window. Ramp-infused oil delivers a cool, green complexity everywhere it’s drizzled. Here’s how I was inspired to create it.

Ramp-infused oil on creamy salsify soup at Le Pichet. Photo by Leslie Kelly

There’s a rumor that it rains all the time in Seattle. While not exactly true, the cold gray skies of winter seem to linger well into what the calendar says is spring. But a bowl of creamy salsify soup (salsify is an obscure root vegetable) at one of my favorite restaurants near Pike Place Market cut through the gloomy weather like a tonic, thanks, in part, to the clever kitchen’s use of a ramp-infused oil. After lunch, I wandered down to my go-to produce guy, looking for those strongly flavored harbingers of spring. Score! I bought a couple of bunches of ramps

What are Ramps?

Part of the allium family, ramps are also known as wild leeks and ramson. They grow in the East and South, with the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia being Ground Zero for this distinctive form of onion. There’s even an annual Ramp Festival during the short season, which lasts from March until June. Ramps look a little like scallions or green onions, but they have a strong garlic fragrance and flavor. They’re typically sauteed, grilled, roasted, or quick pickled.

Simmering ramp greens in oil helps extract the strong flavors of those wild leeks. Photo by Leslie Kelly

A Pretty/Tasty Project

After buying a couple bunches of ramps, I called a chef friend to ask for suggestions on how to extract the maximum ramp flavor in creating an infused oil. “I’d confit the greens,” he said. That means bringing the chopped greens to barely a simmer, pictured above, and then letting them steep for a while in the fridge. I decided to try something different with the second bunch, giving it the cold brew-type treatment: Greens chopped, stuffed in a jar, oil on top, stick it in the fridge. Two weeks later, the results were like the break of dawn and midnight. After pureeing in a blender, the cooked ramp oil looked slightly muddied, while the uncooked were as fresh as a field of clover. The taste was similar, though, a slightly sharp, racy flavor that reminds me of horseradish. Only not quite as sinus-clearing hot.

Two types of ramp oil, the one on the left was cooked. Photo by Leslie Kelly

Easy to Make, Easy to Use

I’ve been using my ramp-infused oil in vinaigrette, to saute morel mushrooms, and to add a little color and kick to scrambled eggs. The biggest hit so far, though, is the simplest. Tossed with pasta that’s then topped with grated cheese, this easy dish reminded me of a cleaner variation of classic basil pesto. Hey, there’s an idea! Next time I make this, I’ll reserve the infused ramp greens and add cheese and pine nuts and call it ramp pesto.

Ramp-infused oil pasta. Photo by Leslie Kelly

Where to Buy Ramps

If you don’t live in an area where ramps are prolific, it can be tough to find them. However, availability is becoming more widespread as chefs and home cooks have discovered the joy of this unusual ingredient. Ask at a farmers market, or check with a specialty supermarket like Whole Foods. Though you might not see ramps on the shelf, sometimes, in-demand items are kept under wraps.

Recipes Featuring Ramps:

Ramp Potatoes
Ramp Dip
Leslie’s Ramp-Infused Oil

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