Concept behind the dish

Like basil or parley, I feel that ramps lend themselves to a pesto.  The flavors are bold but mellowed out a bit with the extra virgin olive oil, lemon and parmesan cheese.

I kept the chicken preparation simple (just salt and pepper) for two reasons:  it is quite strong and might over power other flavors on the chicken and it is a strong enough component to fully flavor the chicken on its own.

Serving size: 4
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 5-10 minutes

Ingredients:
1-2 lb chicken (I used boneless, butterflied chicken breast)
1 bunch ramps
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup pine nuts
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Pesto:

Thoroughly clean ramps and remove just the roots.  Add ramps, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and lemon juice to a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Add salt and pepper to taste and blend a little more to incorporate.  Set aside or place in refrigerator for later use.

Chicken:

Add a little salt and pepper to both side of the chicken pieces.  Heat grill to medium-high.  Cook chicken for approximately 3-4 minutes per side (depending on thickness) or until internal juices run clear.  About 1 minute before chicken has finished cooking, add a layer of ramp pesto to the top half of the chicken.  Finish cooking and then remove from heat and plate.

Ramp Pesto with Grilled Chicken