The Erie Localvore: Spring Foraging

Erin Phillips

Get out into the wilds of Erie, you never know what you may find. Foraging wild food is more popular than ever and Erie offers plenty of sanctioned spots to gather up some goodies (like at Wintergreen Gorge), be it wild ramps (like this month's feature), morel mushrooms, fiddleheads, wood sorrel, wild berries, and more.

The first day of my kids' spring break also happened to be the first warm day in a long stretch of grey, cold ones – so we opted for a hike at Wintergreen Gorge. Formed 11,000 years ago, after Four Mile Creek eroded glacial debris, this 6-mile long canyon in Harborcreek Township is always a winner or runner up for Best of Erie's Best Hiking Trails category, and is maintained by adjacent Penn State Behrend.

These early spring days in Erie haven't brought much in the way of locally produced fruits and vegetables yet, but that doesn't mean things aren't growing.

Approximately one minute into our hike at the gorge yielded a healthy handful of wild ramps – a native allium plant that is basically a wild onion, but more like a cross between a shallot and garlic. Super flavorful, leaf to bulb. My teenager, who was initially reluctant to join us on our hike, immediately brightened up at the idea of finding food in the woods and went on to point out some wild chives growing just a few yards away. As we walked we uncovered patch after patch of ramps, taking just a few from each section of growth and leaving the roots (so they continue to grow and flower, and so that everyone can have some – a good practice).

Foraging, in both urban and forested areas, is becoming increasingly popular. At the time of this writing, ramps, chives, and fiddlehead ferns were at their peak. Coming soon, you'll find morel mushrooms, sorrel, nettles, dandelion greens, and mayapples. It's important to know the rules of the areas you're visiting and never forage on private property without permission. Penn State installed a helpful sign along the trail listing all prohibited behaviors – and foraging was notably not among them. Personal foraging is generally permitted in state parks throughout Pennsylvania. However, places like Asbury Woods prohibit taking anything from the property. It's also important to make sure you're well informed about what you're taking and eating – a reliable field guide is helpful in identifying potentially toxic plants and mushrooms.

I decided to turn my bounty of wild ramps and chives into a beurre blanc sauce, a buttery, slightly tangy French sauce that is a lot less intimidating than it sounds. Replacing the traditional shallot with wild ramps gives it a similar flavor, but knowing that it came free from the wilds of Erie somehow makes it taste better. I poured my beurre blanc over a thick slice of homemade sourdough toast slathered with a lemony ricotta, studded with those wild chives, and topped with roasted spring asparagus and shelled peas. The remainder of the beurre blanc got mixed with some linguine, along with the aforementioned spring veg, for the kiddos. My 7-year-old stated, "this is actually surprisingly good." I'll take it!

Beurre Blanc (as adapted from the queen, Julia Child's recipe in The French Chef Cookbook)

1 cup (two sticks) of cold, cubed, unsalted butter

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

¼ cup dry white wine (I used Chardonnay and then enjoyed a glass with my meal)

¼ cup chopped wild ramps (mostly the white and harder stem parts – save the leaves for garnish)

⅓ cup heavy cream (this is not in Julia's recipe, but I find it makes this recipe more foolproof)

Salt to taste

Saute the ramps in a heavy bottomed skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter until fragrant and add in the wine and vinegar. Reduce on medium-low heat until you have about 2 tablespoons of liquid left. Add in the cream and salt and bring to a simmer. Turn the heat down to low (as low as it will go, this is key to success). Whisk in one cube of butter at a time, constantly whisking until all the butter has been incorporated and the sauce is smooth. Strain it if you want a pure beurre blanc, or don't if you prefer it rustic. This doesn't keep, so use it right away. Drape it over roasted veg, poached eggs, a nice piece of fish, fresh ravioli. Or just slurp by the spoonful. I won't judge.

Erin Phillips will be highlighting a locally sourced, seasonal ingredient each month. She can be reached (whilst cooking and eating) at erin@eriereader.com