If you are lucky enough to find some ramps this spring, and you can barely wait to cook with them, you can tame them and get one or two onto your plate in a heartbeat with this cream cheese. Smeared onto some good bread, a bagel, or crispbread, these wild leeks, redolent of garlic and chives, breathe their pungent breath into and through a creamy cheese. Just one or two do the trick. As they are mild early in the spring and increasingly sharp, use more or fewer as the season dictates.
Wild Ramp Cream Cheese
Yield: 8 ounces
Ingredients:
8 ounces good cream cheese
1 or 2 wild ramps, washed, root end removed, and finely diced (You may use the entire plant, but I use just the stems here and save the greens for cooking.)
Method:
- In a small bowl, stir the ramps into the cheese using a spoon.
The cheese will keep covered tightly in the refrigerator for about one week.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Wild ramp? That’s a new one for me… never heard of it.
I think they grow in Alabama, too. Watch for them at the farmer’s market or at a Whole Foods if you’re not up for foraging. They’re delicious–texture of an extra crisp scallion, and packing a garlic and chive punch.
Wow. I’ve never heard of these either!
Yum… Ramps are delicious, as are bagels and cream cheese. I’m sure the three together is just fantastic!
I just picked a gallon-sized baggie of ramps this weekend, in northern Michigan. Used some for a morel mushroom and ramp galette. Planning to make ramp pesto soon. Definitely will put this on the list if there are any left!!
Becki Sue, Ooh, you’re lucky to have found so many. And your recipes sound delicious.
SmithRatliff, Yes, they’re a pretty good combination.
Ramps are a revelation, and their unique flavor in a cream cheese would be absolutely lovely.
I can’t wait to try this – thank you for the recipe!
Good call! I just harvested a huge bag full in NY state. Yum!