Rose's Kitchen Recipes

I am excited. Rain and warm weather and  they’re up! Bright green patches throughout the forest floor the wild leeks are ready.

The ramp, sometimes called wild leek is a wild onion native to North America. Ramps grow from South Carolina to Canada and in many areas they’re considered a spring delicacy. The flavour and odor of ramps is usually compared to a combination of onions and garlic and the garlic odor is strong.

Wild leeks are wonderful flavours to soups, egg dishes, casseroles, rice dishes and potato dishes. Use them raw or cooked in any recipe calling for scallions or leeks or cook them. Ramps are easy to clean, just cut off the roots, rinse thoroughly and scrub off any excess dirt on the bulbs.

                         Penne with Chicken and Wild Leeks
¼ cup white wine
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 large garlic clove sliced
1 can chicken broth(10 ½ ounces)
1 pound chicken breasts, boneless
11/2 tbsp olive oil
3 to 4 cups wild leeks (use the leaves) julienned
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
5 cups cooked penne pasta
½ tsp pepper
¼ tsp salt
1 can whole tomatoes, undrained(28 ounces)
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

Combine wine, basil, oregano, garlic and chicken broth in a pan; bring to boil. Add chicken; cover and reduce heat. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove chicken from liquid. Strain cooking liquid reserving 11/4 cups. Cut chicken into thin pieces and set aside. Heat oil in large pan and add the wild leeks. Saute 5 minutes. Sprinkle leek with flour and stir well. Add the reserved broth and cook until thickened and bubbly stirring constantly. Add chicken, pasta, tomatoes, salt and pepper. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with Parmesan cheese.

                        Scalloped Potatoes and Wild Leeks
To save time I use new potatoes and leave the peeling on. My food processor has a slicing attachment for the potatoes and a grater for the cheese. Done just like that!

6 cups sliced potatoes
3 to 4 cups wild leeks(with leaves) thinly sliced
salt and pepper
½ cup vegetable broth
¾ cup heavy cream
11/2 cups shredded old cheddar cheese

Place a layer of sliced potatoes in a buttered pan or casserole dish. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a layer of wild leeks. Repeat layers ending with potatoes. Combine broth and heavy cream and pour over potatoes. Cover and bake for 30 minutes at 350. Uncover and bake for another 10 minutes, add the grated cheese and bake for another 15 to 20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the potatoes are tender.