Ramps and Beans, Lima Beans That Is

Come and listen to a story about a man named Red
A poor mountaineer, barely kept his family fed,
Then one day he was hunting for some food,
And up through the ground came a couple of shoots.
Ramps that is, shoots of green, spring time's tea.
Well the first thing you know ol' Red says a prayer,
Winter's over and springtime's in the air
He fed beans and bacon to his hungry family
So they loaded up their plates and ate his recipe.
Beans, that is.
Springtime ramps and bacon parts.
The Appalachian Family!

Well now its time to say good-bye to Red and all his kin.
And they would like to thank you folks fer kindly droppin in.
You're all invited back again to eat this delicacy
To have a heapin helpin of their hospitality
Appalachian that is. Set a spell. Take your shoes off. Y'all come back now, y'hear?

Ramp season is nearing an end this year. Before the ramps are all gone, let me share with you this hearty filling side dish. You can easily make it a main course by adding a good quality smoked sausage to the mix, but I like it just the way it is.
Ramps are born with nutrients and were used as a springtime-like tonic to snap one out of a cold winter's sleep. They were the first greens to show up and they show up with big flavor. To stand up to that big flavor, I chose some pretty big beans to pair with them.....lima beans. With the large beans and big ramp flavor, regular bacon just wouldn't do. Slab bacon stood up well and lent it's smoky and slightly salty flavor to the mix.

 Ramps and Beans

 1 lb Pkg Dried Christmas Lima Beans

1 Bunch of Ramps

Chicken Broth

2 Bay Leaves

1/2 lb Slab Bacon, cut into 1/2' pieces

1 Green Onion, diced

A pinch of Thyme

Salt and Pepper

 

Rinse and pick through beans for stones.

Soak beans overnight covered with water.

 Remove roots from ramps and discard.

Chop stems of ramps. Set the leaves aside.

 In a dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon begins to get crispy.

 Add the stems of the ramps and the green onion.

Saute about 5 minutes or so, until the onions and ramps begin to soften.

 Rinse beans and add to the pot.

Add bay leaves and crush some thyme between your fingers, sprinkling it over the beans.

(about 1/4 tsp)

 Add enough chicken broth to cover beans.

Turn heat to medium low and simmer for about 30 minutes.

 Chop the leaves from the ramps and add them to the pot.

Add more broth if nessecary, just enough to barely cover the beans.

Let simmer another half an hour.

Add freshly chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Enjoy.

 

Well, friends, like the song says....Ya'all come back now, ya hear?

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