Jen Carlson/Gothamist
Word on the street is that the beloved and sacred RAMPS have finally started arriving at the city's greenmarkets. It's weird that this isn't some national holiday, but if you can squeeze out of work we recommend rushing to Union Square [update: we just ran over to the greenmarket and there are no ramps!], pushing anyone who gets in your way, and grabbing a handful so you can churn out some ramp pesto tonight. (They've also been spotted, along with Meg Ryan, at Dean & Deluca in SoHo.) Pesto recipes are really pretty cut and dry, but the atomic garlic power held within the ramp makes them a little more difficult to work with—after experimenting on perfecting the recipe for years, I feel this recipe and the accompanying tips will lead you to ramp pesto bliss:
RAMP PESTO
- 1 bunch of ramps (washed, and with the roots cut off)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup of parmesan cheese (this is important: use the powder-like, grated kind... not the fresh, shredded kind)
- 1 cup of roasted pistachios (you can go raw if you want to, it won't make a huge difference, but I prefer roasting them for about 8 minutes)
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- A few squeezes of lemon (if you're really into lemon, I'd recommended using a Meyer lemon and tossing some zest in as well)
Put everything in the food processor—all at once is totally fine! It's such beautiful chaos—and test it. Is it too powerful that your tongue feels like it's burning? Then add more grated parm and a little more olive oil to cut it.
Note: Some people also add parsley or basil but those people are eating sub-par ramp pesto as a result. [Editor's Note: Seriously, Carlson's pesto kicks freakin' asssssssss.]
