The food thread

[Cal Weldon]

I hope you're sitting down. I am very excited and that doesn't happen very often with food. Before you is 5 lbs. of fiddleheads. It's an ostrich fern that grows in the wild and is one of the vegetable delicacies of the world. I put these up there with truffles, no joking. It's special order item and I managed to get a box without being on a reservation list. Got them through someone I know at the vegetable market. Pure luck and a great price, $44.50 for the box. Only available in the spring and not found in stores even though they grow here. Google if not familiar.

Big smilies on Cal's face today. I'm going to be ******** green for days

Wahoo!

[SY]

Love 'em. Sort of a cross between asparagus and artichoke in flavor. We give them a relatively quick braise. Simple preps are the best.

Cherries are here, big time. There won't be a solid movement in this household for the next month.

[jackinnj]

Ferns are the bane of my existence. They are all through the tree peonies!

[iko]

I LOVE fiddleheads, but rarely can find them in Toronto. I used to find the in a Waterloo supermarket when I was a grad student, not too expensive either, such luck! Enjoy them Cal, they're short lived too!

[vinylkid58]

Originally Posted by jackinnj

They are all through the tree peonies!

Are they blooming yet? We just have one, it's a lovely dark pink.

jeff

[dave_gerecke]

Hey Cal, They are big here in Vermont right now. People go nuts about it being time to go fiddlehead harvesting. I've never had them myself. Our local paper actually had an article a couple weeks ago talking about the fact that so many people go fiddlehead harvesting, the Dept. of Environmental Conservation here in Vermont is worried that people will overharvest them and then in a couple years, no fiddleheads!

SY, thank you for the description, now I am going to have to try some. Guess at this point it will probably be next year, as I think they are done and gone here.

Peace,

Dave

[jacco vermeulen]

Originally Posted by Cal Weldon

******** green for days

TMI !

No "crosses de fougères" here, i'd have to hop over to France to hunt them down.
We currently have wild green asparagus in the dunes (is a nature reserve).
Each evening, we take the 4-month Irish terrier to the beach, otherwise she eats my pants and hands (way too much energy left).
On a good day, the walk through the dunes and back can harvest a handfull of asparagus.

[nezbleu]

Cal, you are definitely on the wrong coast. Here in NS fiddleheads are in every grocery store, as well as farmers markets and roadside stands. They are usually about $3.99/lb. They are delicious (don't overcook them), and it is a short season. I used to have a place on the Margaree River in Cape Breton, and there was a swampy patch next to the house that was full of ostrich ferns. About this time of year we would harvest all we could pick. We would freeze some to make soup with later in the year.

[c2cthomas]

Originally Posted by Cal Weldon

OK, soup is outta the way and you do something nice like going to the museum or art galley for the afternoon. (no watching NASCAR on TV doesn't cut it, get used to it)

WHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAATTTTTT!!!!

Go figure. I get married to a Southern Gal - that doesn't like NASCAR - or C&W music!!! Of course she is right about these things.

BTW - GREAT FOOD!!! Thanks to all of you for sharing as I am learning a lot!!!

[Cal Weldon]

Originally Posted by nezbleu

fiddleheads are in every grocery store, as well as farmers markets and roadside stands. They are usually about $3.99/lb.

I hate you.

They are delicious (don't overcook them)

Yes, I get them every year and am always looking for new ways to cook them. I usually just trim the stem ends, soak for 1/2 hour in cold water to revitalize, wash them in cold water to get rid of the brown flakes, parboil for 1 minute to help neutralize the toxins, then chill in ice water, drain and refrigerate until ready to use.

About this time of year we would harvest all we could pick.

Sounds like us and mushrooms come autumn.

I'm glad to hear others have a taste for the little morsels as well. I have liked them since I was a boy. It was one of the first green vegetables I didn't complain about.