Ramp Pesto with Almonds

Ever since my week long bout with pine mouth, I have been hesitant about eating pine nuts. But being that we are in the midst of ramp season, I just had to make a batch of ramp pesto, one of my favorite preparations for the spring vegetable.  While I nearly took the plunge and used the traditional, innocuous-looking but potentially taste-bud-killing pine nuts, in the end I took the safe route and used almonds, my go-to nut when I need to add some crunch to a dish.  I served the pesto alongside roast chicken and sauteed asparagus and Shiitake mushrooms.  The almonds worked perfectly, adding just the right amount of texture to the pungent ramp pesto.  More importantly, I could still taste my dessert. 

Ramp Pesto

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of ramp leaves with two ramp bulbs, roots removed 
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• 2 tbsp almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup grated pecorino Romano cheese
• 1/8 cup olive oil
• salt, to taste

Directions:

In the bowl of a food processor, combine the ramp leaves and bulbs.  Run the food processor and slowly pour in the oil with the motor running.  Continue to process the ramp mixture until it has formed into a smooth paste.  Add the almonds and cheese and pulse until the pesto is well blended (the pesto should not be chunky, but should have some texture from the nuts).  Taste for salt and serve immediately or refrigerate for several days.

Momofuku's Pickled Ramps

Ramps lend themselves to a variety of different uses.  They carry on unique flavors when grilled, sauteed, blanched, or pureed.  But my favorite thing to do with ramps is to pickle them. Pickled ramps, equally acidic, sweet, and spicy, work well on just about anything.  I tried them as a topping for lamb burgers, but have plenty more left to try alongside cured meats, steaks, and fish.  My recipe for pickled ramps comes from the Momofuku cookbook, and simply put, it's awesome.  I don't know how to describe it better, but the rice wine vinegar is the perfect amount of acidity for the ramps.  It's mid-April, and it's already shaping up to be a great spring. 

Pickled Ramps
Adapted from Momofuku

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs small ramps, roots removed and washed
• 6 tbsp sugar
• 2 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
• 1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 cup water

Directions:

1. Pack the ramps into a quart-size container. 
2. Combine the sugar, salt, vinegar and water in a small sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and pour over the ramps.  Press the ramps down with a spoon to ensure that they are covered by the brine.  Bring the mixture to room temperature, then cover the container and chill the ramps in the refrigerator.  The ramps can be used immediately, but will taste better after a week.  The greens should be eaten within a month, while the bulbs will last for a few months. 

Romesco Sauce

Romesco sauce is a tomato- and nut-based Spanish condiment. Its smoky flavors go equally well with meat, seafood, and vegetables. While romesco traditionally contains hazelnuts in addition to almonds, I substituted pine nuts, which I prefer, for the hazelnuts. I served the romesco over broiled snapper fillets.

Romesco Sauce

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe tomatoes
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• 2 slices country bread
• 10 cloves garlic, peeled
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup sherry vinegar
• 1 piquillo pepper, or 1 roasted red pepper
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• salt, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 450F.
2. Cut the tomatoes in half. Place, the tomato halves, garlic, nuts, and bread on a baking sheet and roast until the nuts begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
3. Place the tomatoes, garlic, nuts, and bread in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until they are well blended and there are no large chunks.
4. Add the olive oil, vinegar, roasted pepper, and paprika to the food processor and pulse until well blended. Pour the romesco into a large bowl and taste for salt.
5. Refrigerate the romesco for at least 8 hours or overnight to let the flavors meld. Serve it at room temperature.

Salsa Verde

I have found that salsa is a great way to boost the flavor of the simple weeknight meals that I make in the summer. This tomatillo salsa goes nicely with any roasted or grilled meats. I served it with a pork tenderloin rubbed with a Mexican spice blend, and this week I will be reusing it on tacos containing pulled roast chicken. Best of all, it is incredibly easy to make and makes enough to last through a full summer of boring week night meals.


Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

• 1 poblano pepper
• 1 lb. tomatilloes, washed and husked
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cayenne pepper, seeded and diced
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
  
• Salt, optional
  

Directions:

1. Peel the poblano pepper by putting it under the broiler or on top of an open flame on the stove top. Turn it frequently, until all of the skin is charred. Place in a paper bag and let cool for ten minutes. Peel the skin off and discard it. Mince the pepper and place it in the bowl of a food processor.
2. Meanwhile, place the tomatilloes in a sauce pan and cover with water. Bring water to a boil, then reduce to simmer. Simmer until tomatilloes are soft, approximately 10 minutes. Drain tomatilloes.
3. Add half of the tomatilloes to the bowl of a food processor.
4. Add onion, cayenne pepper, and cilantro to food processor. Process until no solids remain, about 1 minute.
5. Add remaining tomatilloes to food processor and process until no solids remain.
6. Taste salsa for salt (don't add any more salt than a small pinch).
7. Serve at toom temperature.