Oh, boy. Sure wish I could participate in the Inaugural Ramp Picking Weekend at The Arnold House in the Catskills, April 18 – 20, 2015. Ramps are new in my culinary world and I consider them one of those trendy veggies for the hipster crowd. Have you tasted ramps?
Ramps???
I was first introduced to the tasty, wild-grown spring veggie – think of it like a chive – when visiting Roanoke last spring. Servers at Local Roots Restaurant, a farm-to-table eatery in historic Grandin Village, foraged them that morning and the kitchen dipped them in a zippy beer batter and deep-fried them to a crunchy, golden crisp served with a bitey dipping sauce. Yum!
Ramps typically bloom in April and signify spring has arrived. I’m a spring baby and my birthday falls on May Day, a day to celebrate spring which is why I feel a kindred connection to ramps, the wildest member of the allium family.
So yeah. Forget about the bass, I’m all about ramps and delighted to share information about the Ramp Picking Weekend at The Arnold House. I haven’t visited (yet) but the 10-room inn on Shandalee Mountain in the Catskills sounds and looks adorable!
The weekend celebration includes opportunities for ramp foraging, pickling and pasta-making along with a special ramp-themed dinner at the Tavern the evening of Saturday, April 19.
Rates for the two-night package at The Arnold begin at $549/room (based on double-occupancy) and includes:
- Two-night accommodations in a queen or twin room; upgrades to king available for additional $50 and the new three-bedroom Arnold Suite for additional $250
- Daily breakfast
- One foraging kit per room, which includes a jar of pickled ramps to take home on Sunday
- Saturday morning foraging trip to nearby wild ramp fields (transportation included)
- Saturday afternoon pasta-making and ramp pickling classes at Northern Farmhouse Pasta (transportation included)
- Special ramp-themed dinner at The Arnold’s Tavern on Saturday night
- Complimentary pack of gum (to combat ramp breath!)
Visit The Arnold House website for additional information and to book this package.
Having worked in the tourism industry for years, this is a fun, clever package! Who knows, maybe next year I’ll find someone who’ll want to frolic in a field and forage for ramps with me. If you happen to go this year, be sure to send me a postcard! Or send me a jar of pickled ramps.
The Arnold House
839 Shandelee Rd.
Livingston Manor, NY 12758
Tel: 845-439-5070
www.thearnoldhouse.com
Images: All property photography courtesy of Michael Mundy and Ronald Cadiz. Used with permission from The Arnold House.
