Ramp season is upon us, bringing a mess of down-home "ramp feeds" with it.
And while (smell aside) there's nothing wrong with downing a plate a traditional fried potatoes and ramps at your local VFW, you do have a chance to taste the lowly wild leek elevated to epic proportions.
Appalachian food evangelist Dale Hawkins of Fish Hawks Acres is offering a "Fancy Ramp Dinner: Celebrating Spring Tonics" next Saturday, April 18, at the Mountain View Event Center in Buckhannon.
A fundraiser for the New Appalachian Farm and Research Center, the evening will kick off at 6 p.m. with a reception featuring pickled ramp martinis and deviled eggs with bacon, pickled ramps and micro-celery.
Dinner at 7:30 p.m. consists of a gourmet meal prepared from a bounty of locally grown ingredients. Homegrown goodness like:
* Roasted ramp and celery root soup with artisan breads from Jeff's Breads
* Wild leek hummus arugula salad with shaved fennel, oranges and lightly pickled ramps *
* Beer-bathed bratwurst with apples with buttery noodles and caramelized ramps
* English peas and roasted ramp mashed potatoes with stuffed cabbage rolls and a fondue of wild leeks, onions and roasted garlic
* Apple dumplings with caramel sauce and Ellen's vanilla bean ice cream
Tickets for the evening are a steal at $35 each and special libations will be available for purchase. For more information and reservations, which are required, call 304-704-2535 or email fishhawkacres@gmail.com.
And if you can't make it up to the ramp dinner, never fear. Fish Hawk Acres hosts a series of similar feasts on its Upshur County farm in Rock Cave on Thursday nights throughout the summer, each featuring a reception, tour of the farm and dinner. On tap this season:
* June 11 - At "A Mid-Summer Celebration," enjoy basil-cucumber mojitos and meet culinary author Sarah Loudin Thomas for a reading and book signing of her latest Appalachian-inspired title, "Until the Harvest." Then dine on artisan breads, a summer salad, tri-tip roast with chimichurri sauce, cedar-smoked pork loin with pineapple salsa and shortcakes with Chantilly cream and macerated summer berries. (Cost: $25)
* July 9 - An "Appalachian Clam Bake" will feature Bloody Marys paired with Rappahonnock River oysters baked with Gardner Farm bacon, spinach, onion and topped with Hollandaise. Following a walk around the farm to learn how the evening's food was grown and raised, guests will enjoy a salad with heirloom tomatoes, Maine lobster with butter and lemon, Gardner grilled chicken, grilled corn on the cob, herb-roasted fingerling potatoes and Romney peach cobbler with Ellen's ice cream. (Cost: $50)
* Aug. 13 - The "Fish Hawk Hootenanny" offers West Virginia microbrews paired with vegetable crudites and dill buttermilk dip. Dinner courses include a summer tomato salad, Memphis mustard pulled pork, creamy coleslaw and roasted corn with cilantro-lime butter, beer-bathed beef brisket, cottage potatoes, broccoli casserole and raspberry crumble with lemon cream. (Cost: $25)
* Sept. 10 - The summer farm dinner series closes out with "The Season's Last Hoo-Rah," where you can learn how to make apple butter while sipping on apple cider mojitos and nibbling on white bean bruschetta. That evening's dinner features Fish Hawk Acre mixed greens with vinaigrette, rustic semolina bread with homestead butter, chicken and dumplings with smashed potatoes, stuffed wax peppers with Italian sausage and Mountain Roaster Coffee. (Cost: $25)
The farm is almost a two-hour drive from Charleston, making it a bit of a stretch for an up-and-back trip on a weeknight. But that just gives you a perfect excuse to blow off Friday and enjoy a West Virginia weekend road trip.
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Closer to home, Tidewater Grill and HospiceCare are hosting their 10th annual Dinner Gala with a special four-course menu at a fundraising event at 6 p.m. next Tuesday.
Similar dinners have raised more than $100,000 for Hospice patients and their families over the previous nine years, with guests enjoying lots of great food in the process. This year's event should be no different, with ...
* Lump crab and lobster cakes with roasted red pepper coulis and Dijon mustard sauce
* Field greens with candied pecans and bleu cheese crumbles in balsamic vinaigrette
* Beef Wellington and lightly blackened swordfish with pineapple mango salsa, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans
* Chocolate Amaretto cheesecake
Select wines, beer and liquor donated by distributors also will be served. This special dinner costs $125 per person, which includes a tax-deductible gift of $75 to HospiceCare. Seating is limited, so reservations can be made by calling 304-345-2620.
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And finally, Kanawha Valley residents can once again nominate (and then vote for) their favorite local restaurant, dish, drink, dessert spot and more for special awards the Charleston Convention and Visitors Bureau will hand out May 7 during National Travel and Tourism Week.
Just as it is statewide, tourism is also big business in Charleston, employing 5,200 people in the valley alone. The CVB's awards program was created to recognize standout individuals and businesses that go above and beyond to welcome visitors to the capital city.
To nominate your favorites, visit http://bit.ly/1GtrCmB.
And just in case you're interested, last year's food winners were:
* Favorite Restaurant: Pies & Pints
* Favorite Dish: Grape & Gorgonzola Pizza, Pies & Pints
* Favorite Specialty Drink: Milkshakes, Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream
* Favorite Dessert Shop: Ellen's Homemade Ice Cream
Steven Keith writes a weekly food column for the Daily Mail. He can be reached at 304-348-1721 or by email at dailymailfoodguy@aol.com. You can also follow him on Facebook and Pinterest as "DailyMail FoodGuy," on Twitter as "DMFoodGuy" or read his blog at http://blogs.charlestondailymail.com/foodguy.