KAMPFIRE KOOKIN’ WILD THANGS

Wild Stew For 25 Hunters or maybe 6 or 8 Hungry Boy Scouts

6 lbs. deer, moose, elk, buffalo, antelope, or beef cut in stew meat size pieces

4 lbs. onions (peeled and sliced)

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3 cloves garlic (diced or use equivalent of garlic powder, not garlic salt)

12 bell peppers (sliced)

10 (6 oz.) cans tomato puree/paste

10 cans of water

2/3 bottle of hot sauce (optional)

2 tbsp. brown sugar

2/3 bottle of Worcestershire (pronounced Wooster Shire) sauce

3 tbsp. parsley flakes

1 tbsp. oregano

3 hot peppers (optional) or substitute red bell peppers

2 tbsp. crushed red pepper

Salt and pepper to taste

6 potatoes (diced and cooked) peel if you’re squeamish

4 (15.5oz.) cans of butter beans

Brown the meat pieces in a small amount of oil. Add onion, garlic, and green peppers. Fry until onion is transparent. Add remaining ingredients except potatoes and butter beans.

Simmer for several hours or until meat is tender. Add potatoes and butter beans. Add water if needed.

Cook until heated through.

RAMPS

A wild edible food that is coming in season right now is what we call “Ramps” and they grow wild in West Virginia. Known as Allium tricoccum, they are wild edible leeks and to describe them I would have to say they have the flavor of onion and garlic combined. They are not slimy like a green onion, but have the consistency of greens when cooked or served up in a salad.

In the spring, churches and other organizations in West Virginia hold Ramp Suppers. Typically, a Ramp Supper will consist of Pinto Beans, Fried Potatoes, Cooked Ramps, cornbread, and homemade pies. Richwood, West Virginia is known as the Ramp Capitol of the World.

RAMPS RAY’S WAY

(They are good other ways.)

Wash the ramps and cut off the root end but leave the bulb and leaves attached. Drain them well. Fry a large skillet of potatoes to your liking and when the potatoes are done, chop the ramps into pieces about an inch long and stir into the potatoes just before serving.

WARNING: The garlic like odor will be noticed on your breath for a long time and chewing gum won’t help. Days later you will notice that your underclothes will smell funny as the garlic like odor will exit your system in the form of stinky perspiration and you may experience loneliness.

GOOD POINT They help to keep people at a distance that could give you a cold.