How to Make Grilled Chicken with Ramp Pesto

Ramps, if you are not familiar with them, are a kind of wild onion that grows on riverbanks in the spring when the morels are popping and the shad are coming up the rivers. They are the first promise of warmer days and fresh fruits and vegetables to come. Making pesto with them gives it a blast of oniony sharpness that wakes up your palate big-time. Because ramps are so sharp, this pesto calls for pistachios for their buttery sweetness (instead of the less assertive pine nuts traditionally used in pesto). Serve this on the Grilled Chicken (opposite) with Blistered Broccoli with Garlic and Chiles or Peppers Stewed in Olive Oil, Herbs, and Garlic. Or, put the chicken breast between 2 slices of ciabatta and brush with the pesto.