Ramp up your spring chicken

#Middlebury #Chicken

I’m no spring chicken, so like many people of a certain age, watching Julia Child’s hilarious explanation of the proper names and weights for various types of chickens was my first introduction to the variety of birds available. The availability and diversity of poultry products that we enjoy today are a modern business enterprise.

During the early 1900s, most chickens were raised on family farms for their eggs, which were sold as a source of income. Chickens were considered as a special occasion or holiday meal.

Hens typically start laying eggs at five to six months old. For chickens hatched in February, you can expect them to begin laying in mid-summer, when chickens often are the most productive. The average chicken would lay between 80-150 eggs per year. Older chickens were called stewing hens or old hens and were typically stewed or brined and cooked slowly in the oven to make them tender.

Today, there are roughly 280 million laying birds in the U.S. They lay approximately 75 billion eggs per year. Chicken has surpassed beef as the most consumed meat in America.

Many farmers markets have fresh, local, free-range chickens available for sale. If you keep your eyes and your mind open, there also are many varieties of fruits and vegetables, like ramps, that pair beautifully with chicken that you won’t find at any other time of the year. Ramps, also known as wild leeks, are a luxury of the season.

Because of their short season, ramps are a lesser known member of the allium family, which includes onions, leeks and garlic. They grow wild, mainly in the eastern part of the United States. Ramps also can be found on the side of mountains, in forests and along creek bottoms all the way to Missouri and up to Canada. Festivals have sprung up in their honor, most notably in North Carolina and West Virginia.

For those in the know, what makes the demand even stronger is that ramps are not easily cultivated. So most times, the ramps you find, even at the farmers market, are harvested from the wild. Besides their unique taste and rarity, ramps are high in vitamins A and C.

If you are fortunate to find ramps, prepare them quickly, as their delicate leaves don’t hold up well. They can be substituted in any recipe that calls for spring/green onions, scallions or garlic and vice-versa. Use caution with amount you use, because a little of this pungent vegetable goes a long way.

This recipe for Spring Chicken With Ramp Pesto showcases the delicious flavors of fresh “spring” chicken with the vibrant punch of ramps.

Spring Chicken With Ramp Pesto

(Depositphotos photo)

1/2 cup pine nuts, pistachios or almonds
6 ounces ramps
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, packed
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, preferably Parmigiano-Reggiano
1/4 teaspoon lemon zest, plus the juice of 1 lemon
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2/3 cups extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes or ground cayenne pepper
1/2 cup dry Panko breadcrumbs
3 pounds (4 to 6) chicken breasts
2 tablespoons poultry seasoning

1. Heat oven to 350 F. Spread the nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet, and toast until golden, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Shake the pan every 2 minutes to prevent burning. Set aside to cool.
2. Meanwhile, wash the ramps thoroughly. Trim off and discard the root tips (just the tips, not the bulbs). Slice in half, separating the leafy green tops from the long stems and bulbs. Chop the stem side into approximately 1-inch pieces. Set the stems aside.
3. Blanch the ramps to keep them green. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Place ice, salt and water in a bowl. Add the green tops to the boiling water and blanch until bright green, approximately 15-30 seconds. Transfer the greens to the ice water to halt the cooking process. Drain and then squeeze out most of the excess liquid.
4. Add the nuts, the ramp tops and blubs, the parsley, Parmesan, lemon zest and juice, and garlic to a food processor. Pulse several times to chop, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. With the machine running, add 1/3 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, black pepper, the pepper flakes or cayenne, and breadcrumbs, and pulse until combined.
5. Place chicken on a rimmed baking sheet. Season chicken on both sides with the poultry seasoning. Divide pesto mixture on top of the chicken breasts, making sure they are evenly covered. Drizzle remaining olive oil over the chicken. Bake for 30 minutes, until the pesto topping browns and the chicken juices run clear. Serves 8.

TIP: The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Angela Shelf Medearis is an award-winning children’s author, culinary historian and the author of seven cookbooks. Her new cookbook is “The Kitchen Diva’s Diabetic Cookbook.” Her website is www.divapro.com. To see how-to videos, recipes and much, much more, Like Angela Shelf Medearis, The Kitchen Diva! on Facebook. Recipes may not be reprinted without permission from Angela Shelf Medearis.

© 2019 King Features Synd., Inc., and Angela Shelf Medearis