My focus over the past few weeks has been cheese making, pickling and curing, sort of wintery subjects, so I really need a change of pace. As the days get longer now and noticeably warmer -- at least in my neck of the woods -- I was excited to get a phone call last week “I got a pach of ferns do you wan’em”? “Of course” was my answer since fiddlehead ferns are one of those vegetables which announces Spring to us cooks, and soon other Spring vegetables will follow such as ramps, morels and nettles.
(fire-charred fiddelhead ferns with spring pea shoots and bbq sauce)
Fiddleheads
If you are lucky enough to live close to a lowland forest and close to a body of water such as a lake (fiddleheads like a lot of water to grow) on your next stroll trough the woods pay attention to the forest floor – there is a good change you’ll see tiny grennish gray spirals on a small stem reaching out for Spring warmth like many of us at the moment.
Fiddlehead ferns are protected by a furry-brownish overcoat. Around this time of the year they are most likley harvested close to the Great Lakes. In a few weeks, when weather permits, they will be available from Nova Scotia to the Husdon Valley all the way down the East Coast.
(sauted fiddleheads with fried parsley and smoked spring onion broth)
Bitter but Pretty Looking
The flalvor of fiddlehead ferns is reminiscent of asparagus - it has a slight bitter taste to it and the look of this vegetable is elegant almost like vegetable jewlery or a musical note with its coiled shape.
(Spring party treat: fiddlehead fern skewer with goat milk and Hungarian paprika)
Preparation Tips
-I fhere is more than a one inch stem attached to the little spiraled vegetable snip it off with a knife
-I don’t recommend storing them longer than three days in the refrigerator because they will darken rather quikly
-To clean fiddlehead ferns, place them in a bowl filled with luke warm water (keep changing the water until the water is not brown anymore). Rub them with your bare hands aganst each other in the water (this scrapes off any dirt and the protective brown layer)
-Preparatinon can be versatile from pickling to sauteing them in a skillet
Adding Musical Notes to a Simple Dish
Recently I was asked to participate in a panel discussion of a giant pasta company (not allowed to tell name currently, contractual obligation) on how to make supermarket pasta more appealing. How about with the help of local, seasonal vegetables? So folks here is my suggestion.
(spaetzel pasta with fiddles and candy striped beet ribbon with garlic/parsley pesto)
Pasta with Fiddlehead Ferns and Garlic-Parsley Pesto
(recipe yields four portions)
1 knob garlic
3 cups fiddlehead ferns
1 cup Italian-flat leaf parsley
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups of durum wheat pasta such as penne or orecchiette
Salt such as Baline (to taste)
Fresh black pepper grindings (to taste)
2 tablespoons grated hard cheese such as Parmesan
1. Cut head-cap (1/4-inch) from garlic then wrap in aluminum foil. Transfer wrapped garlic into a 350 degree Fahrenheit oven and roast (roast for 1 hour or until garlic is soft when pierced with a small knife). Squeeze cooked garlic cloves out of peel then combine with parsley, salt and cayenne in an electric kitchen blender. Process mixture then add olive oil to puree smoothly (add 1-3 tablespoons of water if mixture does not blend to a smooth puree).
2. Bring a 1-gallon sized pot filled with water to boil then add salt.
3. Cook fiddlehead ferns in boiling water (3-4 minutes or until soft and but still holding their shape). With a slotted spoon transfer cooked fiddlehead ferns to a plate and reserve the water.
4. Cook pasta (cooking time will depend on pasta brand and pasta shape) in fiddlehead fern cooking water. I prefer to cook my pasta al dente (pasta will have a bite to it instead of a soft texture). Poor cooked pasta into a colander (reserving 1 cup of pasta cooking liquid).
5. Combine pasta, cooked fiddlehead ferns and garlic/parsley pesto in pot and season to taste. Add reserved pasta cooking liquid to your preference (this will add moisture to the pasta).
6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the dish before serving.
Chef’s tip: Instead of parsley switch herbs such as chervil or oregano for the pesto making (this will give an intense herbal flavor to the pasta).
