BELLOWS FALLS — Wild fiddlehead ferns (or simply “fiddleheads”) foraged from our Vermont woods: they truly are a luscious New England delicacy.
My Uncle Leonard was a great forager of wild native foods. Heading out to the woods with him and my Aunt Mary was always a treat; she searched for antique bottles, he turned his attention to wild foods.
In the spring, he gathered fiddleheads and ramps (wild leeks) in great abundance.
Fiddleheads, so called because they resemble the curled ornamentation on the end of a fiddle or other stringed instrument, are the early, tightly coiled sprout of the ostrich fern, and they resemble asparagus in taste and texture - but I think they are better!
If left on the plant, each fiddlehead would unroll into a new fern frond. They are not cultivated, and they are gathered from the wild in the Northern areas of the country.
At this time of my life, I get my first stock of them from a man selling on the side of the road - the same man, the same place every year, and I believe the same pickup truck. I know him only as “the Fiddlehead Man.” The price is fair, and I'm happy.
My sister-in-law Brenda has a secret foraging patch, and she brings me another batch, in exchange for my cleaning and cooking them, of course - a fair exchange that I eagerly anticipate each spring. These are relationships to cultivate!
Fiddleheads take a little messing with, but they are well worth it. If you don't clean, rinse, and blanch them, they will be bitter and have an off taste, which is why many people think they do not like them.
Fiddleheads are a nutritional powerhouse with a good antioxidant content and lots of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, iron, and fiber.
Ramps are delicious, and they are my favorite vegetable of all. When I catch that first whiff of the little garlicky wild ramps, I am immediately transported to the woods in Spofford, N.H., where I grew up. If you find them, use them! They might even be growing in your own backyard.
If you can find wild ramps at this time, prepare them with the fiddleheads. There is nothing better when you are having spring cravings.
Sautéed fiddleheads and ramps
Gather:
¶1 pound fiddlehead ferns
Soak fiddleheads in cold, salted water for 10 minutes, and rub off any brown, papery scales with your fingers or a soft cloth. (These scales are extremely bitter and filled with tannin.)
Change the water, and soak an additional 5 minutes. Discard the soaking water. If the second water is still quite dark and murky, soak them a third time.
This is the most important step, so don't rush the process. Put on some music and putter around with other tasks. It is well worth the effort.
Put a large pot of salted water over high heat, and once boiling, add the prepared fiddleheads. Once back to a good boil, blanch for 2 minutes. This step can be alarming; the water will be as dark as over-steeped English breakfast tea - and that is good! It means the tannin has left the greens, and your fiddleheads will not be bitter. Drain, and immediately soak in ice water to stop the cooking process.
Once they are completely chilled, put the fiddleheads onto a fresh tea towel and pat them, or spin them in your salad spinner. You can do this step ahead of time and refrigerate the fiddleheads for several days until you are ready to use them. Make sure they are dry.
Gather:
¶{1/2} pound ramps
Slice off the bulbs of the ramps and mince finely; set the green tops aside. (I always stop at this stage and bury my face in the ramps; there is nothing like them.)
Heat a large skillet and add:
¶1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
(My mother used bacon fat.)
Sauté the minced ramp bulbs for a minute or so, just to soften, and add the prepared fiddleheads.
Season with:
¶1 tablespoon finely minced fresh chives
¶Salt and pepper to taste
Continue sautéing until the fiddleheads are crisp/tender, 4 or 5 minutes. Add the ramp greens and continue cooking until they wilt slightly.
Finish with:
¶1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
¶1 tablespoon butter
Serve immediately.
If you can find local mushrooms at your farm stand at the same time, sauté them along with the fiddleheads. Even better.
I crave fiddleheads every year! If you don't have a nice sister-in-law, you can find these wild ingredients at many farmstands, and there are even some online sources these days.
This is truly the most satisfying taste of spring.