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Take me home country roads...to West Virginia ramp events

Take me home country roads...to West Virginia ramp events
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  • Take me home country roads...to West Virginia ramp events

    Post #1 - April 27th, 2015, 8:04 pm
    Post #1 - April 27th, 2015, 8:04 pm Post #1 - April 27th, 2015, 8:04 pm
    Thanks to The King of Stink’s great calendar online, we spent Saturday eating our way through the ramps of West Virgina. There are many, many ramp dinners to choose from at churches around the state. We decided to combine a church dinner with the Elkins, WV Ramps and Rail festival. It was a fantastic day (except for the cold and the rain). We drove back roads from Pittsburgh and stopped once at a country store to get some water. While there we had a great conversation with the owners about the way they like ramps (barbecued with fried potatoes) and knew we were in a place we could love. When we got to Elkins, it was a sight to behold. Booths surrounded the local square outside the train depot (train rides through the mountains were also available), each one containing a different ramp item. There were products for sale: ramp salsa, ramp BBQ sauce and powdered ramps for seasoning. There was typical fair food with a ramp twist: battered/fried ramps, ramp corndogs, ramp burgers, a ramp philly cheesesteak called the Hillbilly Philly and ramp spiced pork rinds. And then there were local cooks with big pots of (thankfully warm) food: ramp chili; ramp risotto with Italian sausage; barbecued chicken with ramps; ramp and potato soup. Finally, there were local restaurants with their own fare: ramp risotto with sautéed ramps/shrimp; cachacas (a Venezuelan slightly sweet corncake, made with batter and fresh corn, filled and folded like a taco) topped with ramps and cheese served with a side of ramp sauce; a sampler of cream of ramp soup, ramp bread with ramp meatballs, pickled ramps and ramp mustard. We didn’t taste everything, but what we did have was absolutely delicious! Feeling rather like a nap but knowing there was no time, we drove back up to the northern panhandle of West Virginia to a church dinner in Colliers at the Olde St. John Episcopal Church. The church is about 45 minutes west of Pittsburgh. The women running the kitchen were the NICEST people you would ever want to meet. They couldn’t believe we had come all the way from Chicago to eat ramps. We were served a traditional ramp dinner – potatoes with ramps and bacon, beans, and cornbread. It was near the end of their event so they piled on the food! We also got a ramp dog and ramp Italian sausage. There was also a homemade onion marmalade (made from bacon sautéed sweet onions and apricot preserves) to put on the sausage. It was all terrific. And again, the company couldn’t be beat. They also encouraged us to go in to peek in to the sanctuary, which was a beautiful, simple space. I would go back to their dinner just to enjoy their friendliness and laughter, and on top of that you get great food!

    1-_DSC5023.jpg Ramp sampler from Forks Inn


    1-_DSC5037.jpg Cachapas on the griddle


    1-_DSC5059.jpg Everything's better batter fried


    1-_DSC5070.jpg The sweet sign of a delicious church dinner


    1-_DSC5076.jpg Our charming chefs


    1-_DSC5077.jpg The full spread
  • Post #2 - April 28th, 2015, 5:23 pm
    Post #2 - April 28th, 2015, 5:23 pm Post #2 - April 28th, 2015, 5:23 pm
    nice post, thanks for sharing

    Those chachapas look great.
  • Post #3 - April 29th, 2015, 1:21 pm
    Post #3 - April 29th, 2015, 1:21 pm Post #3 - April 29th, 2015, 1:21 pm
    Lived in West Virginia for five years and I deeply regret not taking advantage of the plentiful ramps. However, I did eat my fair share of West Virginia hot dogs with chili and coleslaw.
  • Post #4 - July 2nd, 2022, 7:47 am
    Post #4 - July 2nd, 2022, 7:47 am Post #4 - July 2nd, 2022, 7:47 am
    funholidaygirl wrote:Lived in West Virginia for five years and I deeply regret not taking advantage of the plentiful ramps. However, I did eat my fair share of West Virginia hot dogs with chili and coleslaw.

    The West Virginia Hot Dog Blog
    A place to discuss the uniquely delectable gift from heaven known as the West Virginia Hot Dog.

    Facebook page devoted to West Virginia Hot Dogs

    Found some recipes for the West Virginia chili and slaws
    Cathy2

    "You'll be remembered long after you're dead if you make good gravy, mashed potatoes and biscuits." -- Nathalie Dupree
    Facebook, Twitter, Greater Midwest Foodways,

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