Last call for fiddleheads! A Springtime delicacy in New England, I've been curious to try fiddlesheads since our visit to Maine last Fall. They weren't in season then, yet Mainers with their inherent regional pride happily share as much information about the quirky little veg as they will lobster.
Appearing only on menus and in markets from May through early July, fiddleheads (aka: fiddlehead fern, ostrich fern, pohole) are deep green, young fern fronds that have not yet opened and taste somewhat like asparagus or okra. In fact, there is but a two-week window during which they must be picked before the fern unfurls. Named for their appearance, which resembles the scroll at the head or top of a fiddle, the ostrish fern species produces the edible shoots. Fiddleheads can be consumed raw or cooked. I tried them both ways; freshly washed and raw, the flavor greatly resembled raw asparagus. Steamed, lightly salted and served with butter, they were pronounced, "too weird" by my husband and toddler, which I find amusing. They both seemed to enjoy their share of lobster while we were in Maine; you would be hard-pressed to convince me that eating lobster (a member of the insect family) is not "weirder" than eating a green vegetable of any species.
This is an edited version of a recipe which appeared on PBS Maine's What’s for Suppah:
10 to 14 ounces fiddleheads
1 cup carrots,thinly sliced
1 cup red pepper, coarsely chopped
1 small onion, sliced into rings
1 eight ounce can black olives, cut into halves
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 ½ tablespoons cider vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons canola oil
pinch of sugar
1 teaspoon dried Italian mixed herbs
freshly ground pepper and salt
Blanch the cauliflower, fiddleheads, carrots, red pepper and onion in boiling water until crisp yet tender, then drain and plunge into cold water. Drain the vegetables, blot with paper towels and place in a large bowl.
Prepare the marinade by whisking together the vinegars, olive oil, sugar and herbs. Add the olives and the fiddleheads to the vegetables, then gently stir in the marinade. Cover the chill for at least four to 24 hours. Makes 8 servings.
Food Fact: According to Bulletin #4198 from the University of Maine, the tender little rolls of fern should be harvested almost as soon as they appear within an inch or two of the ground. The little brown scales must be carefully brushed out and removed. Wash and cook the “heads” in a small amount of lightly salted boiling water for ten minutes, or steam for 20 minutes. (The Center for Disease Control (CDC) has investigated a number of outbreaks of food-borne illness associated with fiddleheads; Therefore, cook fiddleheads thoroughly before eating--boil them for at least 10 minutes). Serve at once with melted butter; The quicker they are eaten, the more delicate their flavor. Cooked, chilled fiddleheads can be also served as a salad with an onion and vinegar dressing.
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