You know it's spring when the foodies start tweeting about ramp sightings at the farmers' market. It's a crazy commotion, as if Blue Ivy herself were strolling around Dupont Circle. This foodie has definitely TMZed those green stalks. Like, OMG, ramps! Everybody, the ramps are here! But, after trying some myself, I wondered what all the fuss was about. At first, I thought I just needed more ramps, but then, after buying more, I decided their flavor was just not that strong nor exciting. With that knowledge, I've spent the past few years rolling my eyes every time the ramp groupies, get ramped up--literally.
But this year I had an epiphany in Dupont.
Everyone is excited about ramps because they are the food equivalent of ground hogs. No one really cares about that fat, hairy rat. They care that, hopefully, he'll see his shadow, letting us know that spring is here (or is it that spring will be here in six weeks. Who cares...RAMPS!).
Ramps tell us that it's time to say goodbye to kale and time to say hello to asparagus and rhubarb, and, before long, to the taste of seasonal strawberries.
Like, OMG, spring! Everybody, spring is here.
