Wild Ramp Chimichurri

Celebrating Spring with Wild Foods

I know without a doubt that spring is here in Southwest Wisconsin because the ramps have arrived, and that is fantastic news! If you are unfamiliar with ramps, they are a wild allium, that have a flavor resembling onion and garlic. They have a white and sometimes pink stalk like a scallion, with wide, flat green leaves.

Ramps grow on shaded forest floors, usually on a hillside that is on a North-facing​ slope. In recent years, foraging ramps has become more popular in the culinary world, so being careful while wild-crafting is extremely important to ensure we are able to enjoy these for many years to come. Read my previous post here for more on sustainable harvesting of these tasty treasures (and another great ramp recipe!). 

If you don't have access to a rural area where ramps are available, or are unfamiliar with foraging, you may also be able to find ramps at higher-end grocery stores or health food stores depending on where you live. Whether you forage or buy ramps,  cooking with them is a reason to celebrate, as it is one of the first wild foods that emerges after a long winter. With a short growing season and only harvesting a small amount per year, I hold ramps very near and dear to my heart and always look forward to cooking with them in the Spring.

How do You Use Ramps?

You can use ramps like you would most other herbs or alliums, such as onions and garlic. You can harvest only the green, leafy tops or use the whole ramp, including the white bulb, much like you would with scallions.

​I like to throw them into sauces and pastes, pickle the stems and even put the green tops on pizzas or toasted sandwiches. One of my favorite ways to use ramps is in chimichurri, an Argentinian sauce that would typically be put on grilled meats like flank steak or chicken.

Chimichurri is full of fragrant herbs blended into olive oil, so it is akin to the Argentinian version of a pesto. I love this on all sorts of grilled, roasted or slow-cooked meat--beef, pork, chicken and fish all pair beautifully with this herbaceous blend-- and it is even delicious on eggs. 

This comes together easily in a blender or food processor and takes very little time and is truly our house favorite when it comes to sauces. If you don't have ramps available where you live or you want to make chimichurri outside of ramp season, you can easily substitute scallions, diced red onion or even a few garlic scapes if they are in-season. 

Wild Ramp Chimichurri 
Makes ~2 cups

Ingredients:
4-6 ramps, chopped (or sub 1 cup chopped scallion or red onion)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped--about 2 cups)
1 bunch flat leaf parsley, chopped--about 2 cups
4 cloves garlic, diced
1/2-1 jalapeno pepper, diced (can use more pepper or try a hotter pepper if you like more spice)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 Tbs dried oregano 
2 tsp dried basil 
1 1/2 tsp sea salt 
1/2 tsp smoked paprika 
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2-3/4 cup olive oil 

Directions: 
1. In a blender or food processor, pulse together all of the ingredients except for the olive oil, until the mixture has become roughly chopped.

2. With the blender running, drizzle in the olive oil until the mixture comes together into a smooth paste. If you want a thicker paste, use about 1/2 cup of olive oil, or increase this to 3/4 cup for a thinner sauce. 

3. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired. Transfer to a jar and refrigerate until ready to use, where it will keep for 2 weeks in the fridge. Alternately, you can make a double batch and freeze extra to use later.