So everyone in WV is like, real proud of ramps, which are this...
So everyone in WV is like, real proud of ramps, which are this onion-garlic hybrid that grow wild here. I’ve never had ramps. I assumed they would be like pepperoni rolls, the other culinary “pride” of WV, which are exactly what they sound like – rolls with pepperoni in them – and taste exactly like rolls with pepperoni in them, i.e. disturbingly overrated.
But I’d never seen them at the grocery store and these food websites are always saying how amazing they are so when my friend Diane asked me if I wanted some, I wasn’t going to say no.
I took them home, made some “butter” with them (quotes because I used smart balance). It was amazing, onion-garlicky but not as powerful and also with a freshness that neither onion nor garlic have. So then I made some with eggs. ALSO AMAZING!!! So then I read hella ramps recipes. Most of the best-looking ones involved dairy, which I try not to eat because it makes me break out and I’m vain. I wound up creating this: CARMELIZED RAMP CASHEW “CHEESE”
WHICH IS LITERALLY ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I’VE EVER EATEN
TASTES LIKE GOD
Also during my research, I learned I’ve never seen them for sale because their season is short, they don’t stay fresh for very long once you’ve removed them from the ground, they’re temperamental, and you have to forage them. Apparently most people have to get them very early in the morning from farmers’ markets and they’re expensive. So basically my friend Diane is a goddess.
Gonna pretend this is a food blog and post the recipe
CARMELIZED RAMP CHEESE
-3 tbsp butter or butter substitute
-1 bunch ramps
-1 c raw cashews
-1 tbsp minced parsley
-2 tsp lemon juice
-2 tsp olive oil
-salt and pepper
Soak the cashews in water overnight in a large mason jar.
Dice the ramps, keeping the white and green parts separate. Heat the butter in a heavy skillet on medium until lightly browned (I actually used real butter because cooked butter doesn’t bother me, I don’t understand bodies). Add the whites of the ramps and cook 1-2 mins until tender. Then add the leaves, cooking until lightly charred. Place on a paper towel to soak up excess butter (or not).
Drain the cashews, rinse them, and then put them back in the jar (they should be damp). Add the remaining ingredients, and then purée with an immersion blender until smooth. Add more salt, pepper, lemon juice, or olive oil to taste.
