Featured Spring Veggie: The Fiddlehead

The fiddlehead is a mysterious green and not well-known.  However, to us New Englanders they are a delicacy and a favorite foraging pastime.  If you are not a "forager" at heart, you can find fiddleheads at your local farmer's market or any grocery store that has an eclectic or wild product section (if you live in New England).

Fiddleheads are the unfurled fronds of a young fern which resemble the head of well, a fiddle, hence the name!    Fiddleheads contain various vitamins and minerals as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.  They are a source of antioxidants and dietary fiber.  They are low in sodium, but rich in potassium which may make them a choice suitable for people who need a low sodium diet.  Be sure to wash and rinse thoroughly since they are known to carry microbes.  

When picking our your fiddleheads at the market or when "foraging", look for bright green specimens with tightly coiled tops.  Be sure to discard any part of the stem that is longer than 1-2 inches.  Once they are picked, they tend to get brown and mushy in the coils and the stalks/stems turn brown.  They should be cooked up quickly after being picked.

They have a short growing season and they turn quickly, therefore a lot of folks like to pickle them in order to preserve them.  

It is recommended that Fiddleheads be at the very least, cooked lightly if not thoroughly.  They have been known to cause an upset stomach if eaten raw or in large quantities.  

The preferred preparation methods for fiddleheads is to steam or saute them.  

They taste great with lemon and butter and make a nice dish with their other foraged friend, the morel mushroom. 

These recipes are sure to welcome in springtime here in the northeast:

Submitted by Violinist Rhiannon Schmitt, Salmon Arm, BC, Canada (Originally Printed in the Gazette in 2002)

Fiddlehead Quiche

Ingredients:

1 frozen (or homemade) piecrust
2 cups chopped Fiddleheads
1 small onion
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup shredded cheddar
4 eggs
1 cup cream (or half & half)
1 Tbs. coarse mustard
2 Tbs. flour

Precook piecrust in a 350° oven. After preparing the Fiddleheads for cooking, sauté onions and Fiddleheads in olive oil for 6-8 minutes then place in crust. Sprinkle cheese evenly over the top. Blend eggs, mustard, flour, cream, and pour over other ingredients.

Bake at 350° for about 50 minutes (full cooked fiddleheads). Pie is cooked when a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. This dish may be served cold, warm, or hot.  Serves 3-5 people.

Sauteed Fiddleheads

Ingredients:

1 bunch fiddleheads

1 tablespoon butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and pepper

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins

Total Time: 15 mins

• Trim the fiddleheads so that the stem end is about 2 inches long.  Rub the dry brown flakes off the fiddleheads and rinse very well.
• Fill a saucepan with cool water and plunge the fiddleheads into the water to rinse off any grit/grime.
• Remove the fiddleheads from the pan, change the water, and repeat the soaking.  Rinse the fiddleheads under water to remove any last remaining grit.
• Rinse and dry the saucepan.
• Measure oil and butter into it and heat until butter is melted.
• Add the fiddleheads and saute, stirring with wooden spoon for about 5 minutes.  Fiddleheads will be bright green and crispy.  Add salt and pepper to taste.
  
  

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