Ramp and Spinach Salad

Ramps (3)This is a spring salad made with ramps and spinach, and a sweet vinaigrette  
I mentioned ramps last year at this time–clearly around this time, since they are seasonal. Allium tricoccum is a wild plant of the garlic family, but I would describe it as garlic onion in flavour, strong for a leek, but not strong enough for garlic. It grows wild in the mountains of East Tennessee, and can be used as flavouring , or as a dish itself. It has wide leaves, like Lily of the Valley, so it is often stewed as a green.

Step 1, come together: assemble and wash all the ingredients–wild ramps are often found in creek areas, and the mud on the roots can retain that swampy smell.

Step 2, tear the greens: tear the spinach to a bite size and cut the leaves off the ramps, and cut into ribbons smaller than the spinach (a little goes quite a way)Apples

Step 3, all the other fruits of the garden…: slice a tart, crisp apple thinly, into bite sized slices, and drizzle with lemon juice. This will keep it from rusting. Add to greens.

Step 4, release the vinaigrette: in a large bowl, mix the vinegar, the dipping sauce & the olive oil (I used about a quarter cup of each, but you can balance it as you wish). IMG_3572Add salt to taste. Whisk to an even emulsion and drizzle on the salad.

Step 5, to table: serve, share, take to a potluck, eat lots of it and go to a sauna as a spring cleanse. You know what to do.