About ramps

“Ramps are called wild garlic in my part of the country; wild leeks, or wild onion in others. There are harvest restrictions here because, like trillia, the plant is killed if it is completely harvested.

They are great for cooking, especially in a spaghetti sauce. Like all onion/garlic plants, they have an effect on the breath that occurs even if the plant is rubbed on the skin. Like garlic, the odour canned be minimised by eating parsley - which is why it is served in restaurants with the butter (here in Quebec, we say that the difference between parsley and #&%!$ is that no-one eats parsley).

The best way to keep ramps is to boil them quicky (blanch) and bottle them in a boiled ½-½ vinegar and water mixture. They will then keep forever and will be great for cooking

Fiddleheads, which are found in pretty much the same areas - but damper - are a brassicum. This means that like cabbage and Brussels sprouts, overcooking can bring out the foul tasting iron in them (that which makes them 'good for you'). If the cooking water is dis-coloured after cooking they have been overcooked.

Fiddleheads are ready to eat as soon as they are warm - like ALL vegetables, but brassica in particular. I don't particularly favour them, but they are good in soup - especially fiddlehead/cheese cream soup. I also like them in salad. Cook (blanch) them quickly and serve with sliced tomatoes, or Greek style with the tomatoes, black olives, onion slices (or chopped wild garlic) and Feta cheese with olive oil, lemon juice, oregano and mint.

Harvest time approaches, by the way, and it's a good excuse to get out of doors. Here you can even sell your harvest to the local grocer.”

“Happy trails.”

“Very intelluctual discussion and then all the sudden the Pu$$y passage.”

“Oh good, I thought that meant there were $#!t-eaters in Quebec.”