Tag: ramps (Page 1 of 3)

Ramp Infused Meatballs

The standard recipe below makes about 18 meatballs.

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of ground beef
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup of milk
  • 1/2 cup of chopped ramp bulbs
  • 2/3 cup of uncooked rice
  • 1 tsp chili powder, + 1 tsp later
  • 2 tsp salt, + 1 tsp later
  • 2-1/2 cups of diced tomatoes, fresh or canned
  • 2-1/2 cups of water
  • 2 tablespoons of chopped yellow onion

Instructions

  1. Mix together meat, eggs, milk, ramp bulbs, rice, chili powder and 2 tsp of salt.
  2. Form into 1-1/2″ balls. Brown in skillet.
  3. In a large saucepan, combine tomatoes, water, onion, and remaining seasonings. Bring to a boil, then drop in meatballs. Cover and cook slowly on low heat for 1-1/2 hours.
  4. Serve with fresh parmesan or mozzarella cheese.
  5. Alternatives would be to serve on a hoagie bun (meatball sub), or serve on top of pasta / spaghetti.

2023 Fall Ramp Bulb Update #1

It’s official. Fall has arrived in dramatic fashion. The leaves are quickly changing into vibrant colors of yellow, orange, and red. High School football games are in full swing and it’s homecoming for a lot of them. Homecoming parades, games, and dances have likely consumed the time from a lot of families this weekend.

While I was in the deer blind with my son this morning (today is the first day of bowhunting season here in WV) we watched thousands of leaves fall off the branches and hit the ground in seemingly endless supply. We didn’t get a deer this morning, but it was nice to be out in the quiet calm of the woods for an extended time.

Over the past couple of days, we restocked our ramp bulb levels and have a large quantity to sell once again. So if you missed out on the last batch, make sure you get some now. These bulbs are fat and gorgeous, perfect for making some caramelized ramp bulbs, pickled ramps bulbs, or just about any other dish you want to make with them. Of course they can just as easily be planted right now so you will have your own ramp greens ready to harvest in the spring.

As more and more leaves come off the trees, the bulbs get harder to find so there is no guarantee that I will have more at a later date. Although I certainly hope that I do.

The ramp bulb order page is located here https://wildwestvirginiaramps.com/order-ramp-bulbs/

Caramelized Ramp Bulbs

Caramelized Ramp Bulbs
Caramelized Ramp Bulbs

These caramelized ramp bulbs are a delicious treat by themselves or an excellent choice for a unique side dish!

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 pounds of ramp bulbs
  • 3 tablespoons of brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
  2. Melt butter in an oven proof sauté pan over medium heat. The pan should be large enough to hold all of the ramp bulbs in a single layer.
  3. Add bulbs and cook until they begin to brown slightly, about 10 minutes.
  4. Add sugar and toss, continuing to cook until sugar melts and begins to bubble, about 2 minutes.
  5. Add salt, pepper, and vinegar and cook for about 5 minutes longer.
  6. Place the pan in the oven, uncovered, and roast for 15 minutes.
  7. Remove to a serving dish and sprinkle with chopped parsley.
  8. Serve while still warm.
  9. Serves 4-6 people as a side dish.
  10. (For a smaller serving, just halve all ingredients.)

You can buy fresh ramp bulbs for this recipe here.

The Next Wild Ramp Shipments Will Go Out On 4-20-15

As the title says, the next orders will be shipping out on 4/20.  Please get your order in before Sunday 4/19 to be placed in this weeks shipments.

The order page is located here: Wild Ramp Order Form

Wild Ramps

If you have ramps in your area and want to dig them yourself, please remember a few key points in harvesting in a sustainable matter.

While many argue over what constitutes a healthy ramp population in a forest patch, I think it is best to harvest conservatively. Studies show that only 5 to 10 percent of the ramps in a patch should be harvested each year to ensure their future survival. When I harvest ramps, I do the following:

  1. Harvest only the largest ramps in a clump (ramps grow in clumps of 5 to 10). This assures that the smaller plants are left to mature and go to seed.
  2. If there are a number of large ramps in a clump, take—at most—only half the plants. By leaving some older ramps, it guarantees that the clump will recover.
  3. When harvesting, keep moving around the patch. This assures that you won’t accidentally harvest too many ramps from one location.

Taking these precautions guarantees that harvesting is done in a sustainable manner.

Looks Like Another Week For Ramp Bulbs

The cold snap this week slowed the growth of the ramps down a little bit, so we have another week of bulbs. If you haven’t ordered yet, you still have time.  You would primarily use these ramp bulbs for planting. I hope it warms up a bit this week so they can finally get some green tops on them!

The order form is located here; Ramp Bulbs Order Form

ramp bulbs for planting

ramp bulbs for planting

 

Ramp Bulbs Update – Last Week To Order

By now I hope several of you that have bought bulbs have had time to get them in the ground. The second round of orders should be arriving to everyone tomorrow or Wednesday. (Make sure you water them heavily after planting!)

The next orders of ramp bulbs will be shipping out on Monday 3-23-2015 and Tuesday 3-24-2015. If you want to plant some bulbs, please get your orders in before then. Some of the bulbs have started poking their heads above the ground, so I expect that in two weeks you will be ordering what you have been waiting on for so long….

This is an older picture, but we will be there in a couple of weeks. I know I can’t wait to get some of these in my belly along with some fried potatoes and bacon. Delicious!

Soon….very soon!

For now though, they’re still just bulbs. If you are interested in the bulbs, the order page with qty and pricing information is located here:  Ramp Bulbs for sale.

Who Wants Ramp Bulbs?

Greetings and Happy New Year once again to all of my fellow ramps connoisseurs.

I hope that the past year was good to you and I hope that 2015 is an even better year for you.

I have a question I would like to ask you today.

(PSSST… We’ve got a facebook page now. Give us a like. See it over there on the right? ———>)

Would you be interested in purchasing ramp bulbs before the official ramp season is underway? Ramp bulbs are easy to plant and a great way to get a head start on growing your own bumper crop, or just growing some so you will be able to pluck them fresh out of the ground, flower pot, or unique raised bed ramp garden that you create. (I’ve seen some really nice raised bed gardens that are just begging to have a few dozen ramps planted in them.)

Of course the ramp bulbs would be shipped complete with roots for transplanting, and would look very similar to this:

west virginia ramp bulbs

The bulbs are small because they shrink during the winter months, but quickly swell again as the sunlight warms the ground and the green leaves make their way to the sky.

So before I go out into the cold and begin harvesting bulbs, I would like to know if there is any interest in them. If you think you would like some, please leave me a comment in the space provided below. This in no way commits you to buying them if I sell them, but it gives me an idea as to whether or not it would be a worthwhile endeavor on my part.

How should I plant and grow these ramp bulbs?

For best growing results mimic how and where the ramps grow in the wild. In the wild Ramps grow in shaded areas (usually under trees) with an abundance of moisture and soil rich in organic matter. Look carefully around your gardening area for a tree that will provide a moist soil with lots of shade. Organic matter such as leaves should be abundantly added. Ramps grow naturally under a forest canopy of beech, birch, sugar maple, and/or poplar. Other forest trees under which ramps will grow include buckeye, linden (basswood), hickory, and oak. A forested area with any of these trees present provides an ideal location for planting a ramp crop. Areas that host trillium, tooth wort, nettle, black cohos, ginseng, bloodroot, trout lily, bell wort, and may apple should be suitable for growing ramps. If there is not a wooded area available to grow ramps, a shade structure can be erected over the planting site.

Hardwood leaves provide the best mulch for ramps. Poor results have been obtained with pine bark and commercial mulches and they should be avoided. The effects of mulching are numerous: decaying organic matter provides essential elements like nitrogen, much needed moisture is retained within the mulched area, and the mulch acts as an insulator to protect the plants in sub-zero temperatures. In addition, mulching helps to suppress weeds as well as protect newly sown seeds, seedlings, and ramp bulbs from wildlife.

I would rather plant my ramp bulbs in the woods.

That’s a great idea also! To plant under a forested canopy, rake back the leaves on the forest floor, removing any unwanted weeds, tree sprouts, or roots. If the soil is not naturally high in organic matter, incorporate organic materials such as composted leaves and other decaying plant material from the forest. Loosen the soil and rake to prepare a fine bed. Sow bulbs about 1/2 to 1 inch a part pressing them gently into the soil. Cover bulbs with several inches of leaves to retain moisture in the soil and to protect the bulbs from the wildlife. When using artificial shade, ensure that you till plenty of organic matter into the soil prior to sowing your bulbs.

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