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It’s Ramp Season! Trust us, they’re tasty.

By Anthony Todd in Food on May 13, 2008 3:15PM

Ramps.jpgIt’s ramp season! What’s a ramp, you may ask? The ramp is an underappreciated member of the onion family that looks kind of like a very leafy scallion. They have a strong flavor, something like a combination between garlic and onion, with a hint of “green” flavor thrown in for good measure. They aren’t grown on many large-scale commercial farms, but a few local farms put in a small crop and they come into ripeness just about now. We got them from our produce delivery, but check any grocery store that carries local produce.

Ramps can be used in all kinds of interesting ways. One possibility is to put them into a frittata with some bacon and big chunks of bread.

Ramp Frittata

4 slices of bacon, diced
¼ cup diced onion
1 cup chopped ramps
7 eggs
3 thick slices of bread, cut into cubes
¾ cup skim milk
2 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper

Frittata.jpgHeat a large, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bacon and sauté for 4 minutes. Add onions and ramps, sauté for 3-5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in bread.

Whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour over bread mixture and set over medium heat, until almost cooked through (5-8 minutes). Sprinkle Parmesan on top, broil under high heat until golden, 1-2 minutes.

Check out some more ways to use ramps, including a Ramp and Caramelized Shallot Pesto Pasta,here.