What do you most look forward to eating in the spring? For me, it's maple syrup, fiddleheads, rhubarb and asparagus. I've restocked my supply of maple syrup, fortunately I have friends who are maple producers ... lucky me! We've had asparagus a few times lately and the rhubarb is almost big enough.. I'm giving it just a few more days. But the fiddleheads are ready NOW and we've been feasting on them. Some of you may not know what fiddleheads are... they are somewhat of a local delicacy I guess you could say. They are the unfurled fronds of the ostrich fern which grows along the riverbanks as the spring flood waters recede. Tightly curled up, they resemble the curled ornamentation on the end of a stringed instrument like a violin. They are hand picked and eaten as a vegetable. (If left on the plant they would unfurl as fronds.) They can be purchased at the grocery store, but I usually buy from an older gentleman who picks them each morning, then sells them off the back of his truck in the afternoon. His are always the cleanest and don't require much rinsing. Fiddleheads are a good source of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, and are high in iron and fibre. The season is short, just a few weeks in May, so we enjoy them as much as possible when they are fresh. They are boiled or steamed until fork tender, served hot with butter, a sprinkle of salt and pepper, and many like them with a dash of vinegar too. Favourite spring meal? Salmon and fiddleheads, with a rhubarb dessert. All I can say is yummmmm.Do you have a favourite spring meal?
Peace,
Linda
"Can words describe the fragrance of the very breath of spring?" ~ Neltje Blanchan
