You may not be familiar with the ramp, but you should be. It’s name is synonomous with springtime here in the northeast, and nothing says “winter’s over!” quite like the arrival of these green goodies.

A ramp is a wild onion thats flavor is somewhere between a garlic and a scallion. Which is to say, it’s pretty potent when eaten raw, but mellows a lot when cooked. But like garlic or scallions, if it’s chopped finely enough, you can sprinkle it onto your foods raw and get just a minimal kick but a whole lot of flavor.

Ramp growing season is very short, so when us foodies see them at our local farmer’s markets, we snatch them up! They’re harder to find in regular supermarkets (if you can find them at all) so take a trip down to your local farmer’s market and forage for them. Ramps are great chopped into salads, thrown into egg dishes, or simply sauteed with a little olive oil or butter and served as a side dish. Greet spring properly and get them while you can!