After a long day of work, I love to treat my boyfriend to a nice charcuterie board. He is our town's local pharmacist and I am so appreciative and thankful of all of the hard work he is putting in during these times to keep our community safe.

When he gets home, I break out the local cider, local cheeses, dad's homemade summer sausage, and recently, ramp-everything. This week, it was pickled ramps and compound ramp butter, served on crackers.

I've spoken before about my love of compound butter. Who doesn't love butter, and why not make it even more special by adding seasonal flavors? This week I made a beautiful compound ramp butter, very similar to garlic butter, but with more of an onion flavor.

If you haven't gotten your hands on any ramps yet, there is still a little time! I recently went picking with my good friend Jessica Roda, near Roscoe, where there are many along the roads.

For this recipe I used about 5 ramps, bulbs and leaves, about 1 teaspoon of sea salt, and a stick of unsalted butter at room temperature, left out overnight. Finely mince your ramps in a food processor, then combine all ingredients.

I served over crackers with a cheeseboard but feel free to place over meat, in gravy, over pasta, or any other recipe that calls for garlic or onion. It's just one more way to add in some additional flavor! This compound butter will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

I have not just been using ramps in my soups and butter, but creating pesto, as well as pickling the bottoms to preserve them so I can enjoy ramps all year round.

I place them in a pickling liquid made of vinegar and pickling spices, just like I would a cucumber. If you'd like to do a “quick pickle”, simply place them in some red wine vinegar, salt, sugar, and pickling spices. They are delicious any way you slice them.

Keep your eye out for ramps along the road, “droopy tulips” as my friend likes to call them, or purchase at your local farmer's market and enjoy their pungent flavor. Don't forget to get outside and stay safe.

Claire Stabbert is an accomplished cook who loves to try new recipes. While she does enjoy eating at restaurants, she also loves to whip up a good meal at home. Claire gets some of her cooking inspiration from her grandfather and grandmother, Fred and Shirley Stabbert as well as Great Grandma Nellie.