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.