Despite what the calendar says, it isn’t truly spring until the first ramp makes its odoriferous Greenmarket debut, typically on Rick Bishop’s Mountain Sweet Berry Farm stand, where local chefs elbow into the scrum like so many Democratic presidential hopefuls. The ramp, or wild leek, is prized for its innate seasonality and its assertive flavor, a cross between garlic and onion that enlivens everything from pasta and pizza to fish and frittatas. Master pickler David Chang of Momofuku Noodle Bar and Ssäm Bar harnesses the plant’s potency in a seasoned brine, which extends its short shelf life and preserves what Chang calls its “spicy garlicky bite.” --Robin Raisfeld & Rob Patronite

Ingredients

32 ounces water
16 ounces rice-wine vinegar
16 ounces white sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 heaping teaspoon of shichimi togarashi (Japanese spice mix)
1 pound ramps

Instructions

(1) Bring the first five ingredients to a full boil, until sugar dissolves. Young ramps with small leaves may be pickled whole. Later in the season, as they grow larger, trim the top of the ramp leaf, leaving about one inch of green. (Save tops for other uses, like stock or pasta.) (2) To clean ramps, use a paring knife to trim the root base. Peel the outer layer of skin and wash ramps well. (3) Place cleaned ramps into a pickling container (lidded plastic is fine) and pour boiling liquid over them. Weigh down with a heavy bowl so that ramps are completely submerged. Let cool to room temperature, and store covered in refrigerator for about a week. Serve with roasted ramps and bacon and eggs. (Published 2007)