Every January I mark my calendar to be sure I don't miss the beginning of ramp season in April. Pretty round-leafed ramps, sometimes called wild leeks, are one of my favorite vegetables, and like lots of other spring produce-- fresh morels, rhubarb and chive blossoms-- they're available (or at their peak) for only a few fleeting weeks.

Here I've developed seven recipes with simple ingredient lists and quick prep times, each featuring a different vegetable or fruit that's at its best in the spring.

Published April 1997