Ramp Capitol Of The World! Gotta love us Mountaineers or is it smell us?

Ramps...woooeeee!
Wild leeks or ramps are a crop that West Virginians dig up out of the fertile dark dirt of the Appalachian Mountains. These tender plants peek their heads through the dirt about the same time as winter ends. Ramps being the first "greens", they were once considered a tonic. They provided necessary vitamins and minerals following long winter months without access to fresh fruits and vegetables. Today they are still considered an offensive tactic to colds and are being researched for cancer treatments.
By mid April til the end of May, we’re able to have a hootin’ hollerin’ good time with the harvest of local ramps. Festivals rage throughout the Mountain State as ramps become the reason for neighbors getting together and celebrating the end of winter. The intelligent person indulges with their neighbors because after eating ramps the garlicky, onion-like odor remains for days. Wild leeks have a strong onion/garlic flavor. A pungent odor permeates the air when leeks are being cooked. Richmond, West Virginia is called the "Ramp Capitol"of the world. Home of the annual Ramp festival. Travel into our state and allow your nose to direct you to the largest state Ramp festival. The food is locally cooked for days causing quite the odor wafting throughout the entire county.

The wild leeks/ramps grow approximately a foot tall. The entire plant from the roots to the tip of the leaves is edible. Caution is advised when eating this plant the odor and taste remain with the diner for days. I suggest starting off with the tender leaves and working your way into root eating. Having learned this lesson the hard way; *Do not apply contacts into eyes for a few days after ramp handling
.Wild leeks have a taste all their own, but are very much like an onion mixed with garlic. They can be used in place of onions in many recipes. Wild leeks fried with scrambled eggs or fried potatoes are two classic West Virginian recipes. (Don’t forget the catsup or ketchup in my case!)
Storage can be either canning or freezing!
Ramp Tater Soup

INGREDIENTS:
Quarter pound of sliced Bacon
4 cups chopped ramps (Leaves for newbies, whole stock for advanced diners)
4 to 5 cups diced small white Potatoes
4 cups Chicken Broth
1 cup Heavy Cream
Salt and Pepper, to taste
Fresh Chopped Chives for garnish
PREPARATION:
Fry bacon in large skillet. Add ramps and potatoes to the skillet. Fry on medium-low heat until ramps are tender.Stir in chicken broth and simmer until potatoes are tender. (Potato slides easily from fork) Stir in the cream. Heat thoroughly on low-medium heat. Add salt and pepper to taste.Sprinkle top with fresh chopped chives. Serves 4 to 6.

Chicken Crescent Rolls~Love you too Rick!

Chicken Crescent Rolls Ingredients:
2 c Cooked cubed chicken
4 oz Cream cheese, softened
2 tb Butter
1 8 oz can crescent rolls

I usually cook some chopped onions with the chicken

A pinch of salt and pepper

Chicken Crescent Rolls Instructions:

Mix cream cheese and butter.

Add chicken.

Separate crescent rolls into 4 rectangles and seal perforations.

Put 1/2 cup chicken mixture in center of each rectangle.

Bring 4 corners of dough to center and seal.

Bake on slightly greased cookie sheet 20-25 minutes until brown.

Love you my son! Bona Petite!

The Pepperoni Roll

Pepperoni rolls are a statewide treasure of the Mountain State. Different bakeries within the state claim credit. The 1920s seems to be the approximate appearance of these specialty rolls. An idea that developed deep in Marion county, West Virginia. These delectable treats have been coming out of West Virginia for more than 80 years.
This is my favorite! It all began when coal miners, on their way to work each day, would buy a stick of pepperoni and a loaf of bread to take into the mine. Then one day a baker came upon an idea; he decided to start slicing the pepperoni into smaller sticks and cook them within the bread. He did that for many of the local miners to take in their lunch buckets. Not only was it tasty but it also had the perfect packaging. Easy To Eat! A must when your eating lunch beneath the earth among dusty coal!
My recipe is very simple:
I use Pillsbury Pop-and - Fresh Dough, Pepperoni Slices, Cheese, Mozzarella or Provolone.
Roll out the dough, line with pepperoni and cheese, roll up. Put on cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, until lightly brown.
Sauce, mushrooms, peppers, onions can all be added to spice them up!

Golden Delicious Apples ~ Apple Butter

My son is in the fourth grade. He is studying West Virginia history. It has becomes family fun and family food!
The Golden Delicious Apple was a chance seedling found on Mullins' farm in Clay County, West Virginia in the year 1905. The Mullins Family called it an Annit apple. This apple went on to become an international favorite. This apple is grown on every continent. In 1972 West Virginia made this delightful homegrown favorite its state fruit. Sweeter than Granny Smith apples, The Golden Delicious is a favorite for salads, applesauce and apple butter.Clay County hosts a fair every year to honor The Golden Delicious Apple! Throughout the Autumn West Virginia hosts a variety of fairs featuring apple butter. Tucked in cookbooks modified for taste here's two recipes for you to try.
Southern Apple Butter
Aprox. 2 cups of water. A half cup of apple cider replacing a half cup of the water adds a bit of twang.
4 lbs. Apples (Cored and quartered with skins on)
4 c Sugar
4 ts Cinnamon
1/4 ts Cloves
1/4 ts Salt
Cook apples and water on high in 8 quart pan til boiling; reduce heat to simmering. Cook aproximately 20 minutes until soft. Remove from heat. Pour apples through sieve. Return the apples to the pan and add the remaining ingredients,stir. Cook on medium heat, stirring continually to prevent burning. Scrape the bottom of the pan while you stir to make sure a crust is not forming at the bottom. Cook until thick and smooth. Apple butter test: spoon a tad onto a cold plate and allowed to cool, taste. Cooking time about 1 and an half hours. You can cook the butter on low heat, stirring only occasionally, but this will take longer as stirring and the higher heat helps with evaporation. Near abouts 3 pints! Perfect for canning or freezing!
Low on time? Throw this in the slow cooker before work! Stop at the bakery after work for fresh homemade bread!
A special added treat for the dinner table!
Cheater Apple Butter
1 cup applesauce1/2 cup sugar1 teaspoon cinnamon
Combine all ingredients in slow cooker. Cook on low 8-10 hours. Remove lid and cook on high until thickened.