Return to the Land of the Fiddleheads

Every spring it is a family tradition to collect fiddleheads from the Humber river valley.

I was armed with my trusty swiss army knife and yellow rubber boots.

Warning !! If you can't recognize an ostrich fern in the early stages of growth don't attempt this. Some species of ferns are poisonous or can at least make you very sick if you ingest them. You need not collect the ones like this that have already unfurled.

This is what I am looking for .

It was so beautiful and green everywhere after the rain ( and snow) had fallen that morning. My family always harvests wisely. We only take a few fronds from any given fern plant so that the plant continues to grow and reproduce. It must be working because we have been collecting here for about 15 years and they are still flourishing in the area. They are best eaten within a few days of harvesting. You need to rinse them with lots of cold water to remove the brown skins called bracken covering the spirals. These are very bitter, discolor the water and can give belly aches. After that the simplest way to cool them is to boil or steam for about 12 minutes. You can eat them plain but my family likes them with a little butter and lemon juice. They have a delicious nutty flavor. Last night I made a version of jamie oliver's penne recipe
substituting fiddleheads for the olives and adding some organic roasted chicken and adding grated asiago cheese and roasted cashews .

Later in the week I will try a fiddlehead quiche or frittata and soup. What are you cooking up to celebrate spring?