I don’t typically post two recipes in a row, but I couldn’t wait to share this one. You are going to go crazy for this delicious ramps pesto recipe.
First, what the heck is a ramp?
Ramps are a wild spring onion with thicker leaves, and a more aggressive, garlic-y flavor. I strongly urge you not to eat these things on any type of first date. You can add them to a stir fry, saute them in butter or even top your pizza. These things are absolutely delicious!
I first learned about ramps through my brother and sister-in-law. They hit the jackpot and found them randomly growing near their house. And that leads me to the one drawback of ramps. They are tricky to find.
It can take up to 3 years for ramps to grow their bulbs, and you have to forage for them as opposed to regular gardening methods people use for most vegetables (regular gardening methods… can you tell that I have absolutely no green thumb?) Philly Eater explains how to forage for ramps. If you don’t see yourself foraging for ramps any time soon, unfortunately, you will be require to pay a pretty penny for these guys at the grocery store.
So, are they worth it? I tend to agree with Serious Eats on this one. They are SO worth it! They are incredible tasty and worth the splurge for their short season once a year.
Delicious Ramps Pesto Recipe
If you stumble upon ramps in your backyard, you may find yourself scrambling to come up with different ways to use them.
My brother and sister-in-law (the ones who found the ramps growing in the wild) gave me the idea to make a ramps pesto. This pesto is incredibly tasty. You can use it to top a pizza, spread it on a sandwich, or add to some pasta.
Pestos are simple to make. Just toss the ingredients into the food processor! You may also find they are an easy to way to get your kids to eat vegetables if you spread it on a favorite sandwich.
Ingredients
- about 2 C ramps, chopped
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 1/2 C freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 1/2 C nuts *I used almond, but pine/walnut/any other nut will work
- 1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Add all ingredients into a food processor and blend thoroughly. Refrigerate.
I just made pesto for the first time the other day! I have a really nice basil plant that is getting huge! I have never heard of ramps before in my life and I am fascinated!! I wonder if they grow in my area? I’m definitely going to look into it-I love onions and garlic and all of their delicious relatives!
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YUM! Pinned, tweeted & Stumbled! Think it would still taste delish sans parmesan?
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I love pesto but I had no idea what ramps was.. I had to google it!
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My nephew was kind enough to pick some ramps (or leeks as we know them here) for me. I always make leek spread, but had so many that I wanted something else to do with them also. I thought this looked perfect for all those lovely green leaves while I froze many of the bulbs to use throughout the year and hope this will work! The pesto is delicious, especially after I let the flavors blend for a couple of days!! I am also planning on freezing the pesto in small containers for use throughout the year. Thank you for a creative use for these short-lived seasonal beauties!
We live in a bush and there are literally thousands of ramps (wild leeks) in patches. Now we will make pesto, caramelized browned buttered ramps, leek soup and any other recipes we can find.
We had no idea how to use them before!
Do you use the whole plant or just the greens for pesto?
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