It is just over a month until ramp season. I’m getting this post out there early to give the search engines plenty of time to index this post before the season gets here. May have something to do with the fact I’m ready for Spring as well. 
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Wild Leek commonly referred to as Ramps is very popular in the hills of Appalachia. It has a taste that can best be described as a cross between a strong onion and garlic. It is used to spice a few different types of food. I like ramps with fried potatoes, cooked with Pinto beans, or a spice for any kind of wild game. A lot of peoples taste vary in what they eat ramps in combination with but one thing remains the same - everybody pretty much agrees ramps are just good eatin’.
One of my favorite early Spring pastimes is to go into the mountains harvesting the Wild Leek. Depending on the weather, ramps grow for about two months beginning near the end of March or the first part of April. Ramps are one of the first plants to make a showing after the Spring thaw and tend to grow in shady wet hollows.
When it first appears it is referred to as a Roosters Spur because of the pointed angled shape.
Personally I love to go into the mountains around the end of March and see these Rooster Spurs coming up out of the ground. It is a sure sign that Spring is at hand. I call them Spring indicators. Another such indicator is Mayapple. I’m actually not sure which one of those appear first - too close to call.
The Ramp can be harvested in its young form but they are extremely potent. Ramps are at their best when they reach about six to ten inches tall with a nice broad leaf.
The entire plant can be consumed as it has a head identical to a garden green onion. A seed pod that develops on the plant after the leaves have died help the plant to spread. Usually when you find ramps they are in fairly large patches and in groups of two to ten plants per bundle.
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THE HISTORY OF THE INFAMOUS RAMP:
The first of the Zodiac calendar is Aries, which ushers in the spring during March and April. Aries is the Arabic word for Ram, the male of the sheep family, stout, rambunctious, and a bit odoriferous! The plant called the “Ram’s Son” is the first green shoot to show itself in the deep Appalachian woodlands, gaily announcing the Coming of Spring! It is aptly named the “Son of the Ram” for it has a tart and snappy taste and pungent odor that lingers long on the breath of the eater.
read the article - http://www.richwoodwv.com/ramp.asp
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Behind the powerful aroma it appears there really is something good for what ails you. Ramps have long been recommended for their germicidal and toning effects. The beliefs that ramps are good for the heart, that they thin and purify the blood, and that they relieve the common cold are widespread. Scientific research suggests that such faith in ramps is well placed. The allicin (diallyl-sulfide oxide) in ramps, which has antibiotic properties, has been linked with reduced rates of cancer. Ramps are higher in vitamin C than oranges. They contain cepaenes, which function as antithrombotic agents. Ramps also contain flavonoids and other antioxidants that are free-radical scavengers.
from - Ramp Suppers, Biodiversity, and the Integrity of the Mountains
