Ramp It Up! Festival
March 27, 2010
Cherokee Indian Fair Grounds
Feast on succulent trout and pungent wild onion/garlic-like ramps. Honor the Cherokee elders on their special day. Pitch horseshoes and make that iron ring! Whether you compete for big prizes or just admire the masters, you’re in for big fun. Held during Cherokee’s trout season opening, this gathering includes music, senior games, craft exhibitions, and the chance to head home with a full creel.
Go ahead, eat a ramp! Grown locally, ramps are also known as wild leeks and have a lovely onion garlic-like aroma. Native to the Appalachian region, ramps grow in patches in rich, moist, deciduous forests as far north as Canada, west to Missouri and Minnesota, and south to North Carolina and Tennessee. As one of the first plants to emerge in the spring, ramps were traditionally consumed as the season’s first “greens.” Ramps were considered a tonic because they provided necessary vitamins and minerals following long winter months without access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Most often prepared by frying in butter or animal fat with sliced potatoes or scrambled eggs, ramps are also used in soup, pancakes and hamburgers. They can also be pickled or dried for use later in the year.
Contact: Cherokee Welcome Center – 1-800-438-1601
via Ramp It Up! Festival.
Related posts: