Ramp Compound Butter

Spring has sprung,
Winter has went,
It was not did by accident.

My grandmother always said that about this time of year :D  And with spring comes a bountiful plethora of nourishing wild foods.  Ramps, or wild leeks, are one of the earliest to emerge, and, for some, they're the holy grail of wild edibles.  Early settlers relied on their restorative qualities after long, hard winters.  Modern foragers dream all year long about their uniquely pungent garlicky-onion flavor... the same flavor that odiferously and offensively permeates your pores to effectively stave off man and beast. 

Sadly, ramps have recently achieved "trendy" status as chefs and foodies extol the virtues of their gourmet-ness.  Their numbers are dwindling.  The implications affect conservationists and foodies alike.  Cindy and I are conservationists first and foodie foragers second.  What this means to us is that ramping is not only unsustainable, but it gets more arduous each year as we climb higher and longer to find undiscovered ramp patches.  So we've been looking into the possibility of cultivating our own ramps.  I'd always heard they would survive almost anywhere in our Southern Appalachian region but would only propagate above 3000 feet.  But according to North Carolina Extension Horticultural Specialist Jeanine M. Davis, they can be transplanted and cultivated from seed at much lower elevations.  Apparently, it takes some effort to germinate seeds when climes are warmer than ideal, but it can be done.  And once a good patch is established, it supposedly requires little maintenance.  We're gonna try it this season.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Jeanine recommended this book by the "Johnny Appleseed of Ramps" for more info on cultivating ramps.

Moving along, ramps are short-lived in the ground and in the larder.  So Cindy's storage solution is ramp compound butter, which keeps up to six months in the fridge and up to a year in the freezer.  Here's the recipe:

• 1 lb. softened butter
• 1 to 2 cups ramp greens, chopped
• 2 Tbls freshly squeezed lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor until smooth and pack in small containers.  Use just as you would garlic butter.