Tuesday, June 4, 2013

Fiddleheads everywhere!

You know how when you learn a new word - all of a sudden you see and hear that word everywhere? Well, we learned that that is called The Baader-Meinhof Phenomenon.

Well, we are Ruma's spot fiddleheads are seeing fiddleheads (and sauteeing them, eating them, and freezing them, and preserving them...)

Can you spot the fiddles in this new movie Epic?

 


Hint: it's around the 1 minute mark...

Remember, the season ends soon, but you can order now and freeze them - complete directions here!
 
We have fresh fiddleheads for sale! Order here! 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Monday, May 20, 2013

So many things to do with fiddleheads! (And one thing NOT to do!)

Things to do with fresh fiddlehead ferns:

  1. Let the fiddles take center stage (on the plate) - simple recipe here!
  2. Serve and Italian feast - recipe here!
  3. Cab or freeze then - here's how!
  4. Spice them up with Emeril- here's how!
  5. Serve them with quinoa - here's how!
  6. Decorate with them - you read that right! Look here!


Here's one thing NOT to do with fresh fiddlehead ferns:
  1. Do NOT consume them raw or undercooked!
Note: Sautéing, stir-frying or microwaving ostrich fern fiddleheads are NOT recommended methods for cooking fiddleheads. Fiddleheads should be boiled or steamed prior to use in recipes which use further cooking methods like sauteing, stir-frying or baking.

Here are the facts:  Fresh fiddlehead ferns have to be thoroughly washed after picking.  (Here at Ruma's, we do this step).  Upon delivery, be sure to wash them again.  Fiddleheads must be boiled or steamed prior to using them in recipes.  Be cautious! 

From our friends at the University of Maine: read more information about consuming fiddleheads

We have fresh fiddleheads for sale! Order here!

Saturday, May 18, 2013

Beer battered fried fiddleheads? Um, yes please...

(Did we mention that the fiddleheads are dipped in a garlicky aioli?)

One of our friends who spends as much spare time as possible experimenting in his in the kitchen (you have to love friends like this!) sent us this recipe for beer battered fiddleheads from Dave's Kitchen

Now, you may have already experimented with battering and frying foods (

But this chef (and his problem-solving girlfriend Karol) have a trick to make the batter work for the curly little fronds that are fiddleheads.

You'll need 
For the fiddleheads:
  • canola oil for frying
  • ½ lb fiddleheads
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp salt
  • 6 oz beer, preferably a spring ale
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 2 to 4 tablespoons carbonated water
Specifics steps from Dave for the fiddleheads can be found here

For the aioli:
  • 3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives
  • 1 egg yolk
  • ¼ to 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 1 to 2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
Specific directions for the aioli can be found here:

Now we are heading to the house of our friend-the-experimental-chef  to taste these beer-battered treats!  What are you cooking this weekend!?

We have fresh fiddleheads for sale! Order here!

Thursday, May 16, 2013

Wednesday, May 15, 2013

Know your farmer?

We love spring for so many reasons: working with the windows open; how the house feels after a good spring cleaning; fresh fruit and vegetables from the Farmer's Market.

Tooling around the Farmer's Markets is one of our favorite things to do: whether it's a weekday market or a weekend market, we love the buzz of the crowd, overhearing the tidbits of information from the farmers to their customers, and the variety of goodies that abound!

Looking for a Farmer's Market near you?  Want to find a new one?  Check out this database - within seconds, you can see all in your area!


Knowing your farmer - and where your food comes from - seems 'retro' and 'hipster', no?  Indeed, it's certainly trendy these days.  We are pretty sure our grandmothers (who hung out the laundry to dry, bought rice in bulk, and reused containers from the get-go, before the word 're-purposing' was invented!) would not call themselves 'retro' or 'hipster'.  They'd look at us, furrow their brow, probably say something like "...kids these days..." and call themselves sensible.

We like being sensible.

And we like knowing our farmers - like Dane, here with Jim and Mark Ruma. 

We have fresh fiddleheads for sale! Order here!



Tuesday, May 14, 2013

WWJD? (What would Julia do?)

We knew Julia Child had to have a recipe for fresh fiddlehead ferns!  (Well, a recipe for broccoli stew, and this author/chef just substituted fiddles!)  Herewith is Cream of Fiddlehead Soup

As kids, Saturday morning meant eating cold cereal in front of the TV and watching Julia Child's cooking lessons. 

Gather all of your ingredients:
  • 1 lb Fiddlhead ferns
  • 4 tbs butter
  • 1 cup minced onion
  • ¼ cup flour (plus more later in case you mess up and the soup doesn’t thicken)
  • 7-8 cups hot veggie stock (I used homemade because its pale color kept the soup pretty)
  • ½ cup milk
  • salt & pepper
  • dried thyme to sprinkle on top when serving
The complete instructions are here.

We are loving the addition of the dried thyme to the top - it adds the perfect amount of contrast to the creamy soup!

Tell us what you think!  We are whipping this up tonight!

We have fresh fiddleheads for sale! Order here!


Buy now. Enjoy later.

The good people at Livestrong shared these easy steps to freezing fresh fiddlehead ferns; when the season is over, you'll be able to devour more and more of these nutritious, vitamin packed greens long after the farmers have moved on to their summer crops!



How to Blanch Fiddleheads for Freezing
Photo Credit Hemera Technologies/Photos.com/Getty Images

Step 1: Bring a large pot of cold water to a boil over high heat. You can cover the pot with a lid to hasten the boiling process.

Step 2: Drop fiddleheads in the boiling water and wait for the water to come back to a boil. Boil them for two minutes.

Step 3: Drain the fiddleheads in a colander, then transfer them to the bowl of ice water. Let them soak in the ice water for a minute or so.

Step 4: Transfer the fiddleheads using a slotted spoon to a clean kitchen towel or paper towels. Pat them dry. Transfer them to freezer-safe containers or bags and freeze.  

Read more of the Livestrong article here

Remember, Ruma's ships nationwide!

Order now!


Friday, May 10, 2013

Spring is here - that means fiddleheads!

Are you ready to say good-bye to winter!?  Are you ready for a little more sunshine, fresh produce from the Farmer's Markets, and some dining al fresco?  (Ok, maybe you'll be wearing a sweater)

We couldn't agree more!

Looking for a little hint of Spring on your plate?

Ruma's has fiddleheads for sale!
  • 2 lb bags (for a small dinner party)
  • 5 lbs bags (some for the whole family!)
  • 10 lbs bags (invite all your friends over!)
We ship nationwide (Monday-Thursday), so if you start planning now, the delivery will be on your doorstep in no time!

ORDER NOW! The fiddlehead season - just like springtime! - is short!



About Ruma's: Since 1900 when Giacomo Ruma started selling fruit and produce, the Ruma family name has been synonymous with superior quality products and superb customer service. In the more than 100 years since we opened our doors, we have stayed focused on our mission, a strong commitment to both the quality of our products and our customers' satisfaction.


Wednesday, May 8, 2013

How To Cook Fiddleheads - video!

We know some of you like to follow directions in list form (step one! step two!)

But we also know a lot of you would prefer to watch a quick video on how to cook fiddleheads!  Voila!

Check out this great recipe by "Cooking with Kimberly" clip that shows how to cook fiddleheads, using white wine (or red wine!), lemon juice - and that's all!

It's a great beginner's recipe!

What are you doing with your first batch of this season's fiddleheads?


Remember: Ruma's has fresh fiddlehead ferns for sale in 2 lb bags, 5 lb bags and 10 lb bags! 

Order fresh fiddleheads now!



Tuesday, May 7, 2013

FAQs about Fresh Fiddlehead Ferns

We've looked to the experts at University of Maine to help us answer some frequently asked questions:

Cleaning Fiddleheads
Fiddleheads can be cleaned by first placing them in a colander and thoroughly rinse/spray them off with clean cold potable water. Placing the rinsed fiddlehead in a bowl full of clean cool potable water should follow rinsing to remove the remainder of the brown papery coverings, and repeat as needed. They should appear clean at this point.

How do I clean fresh fiddlehead ferns?  First, place them in a colander and thoroughly rinse/spray them off with clean cold potable water. Then, place them in a bowl full of clean cool potable water to remove the remainder of the brown papery coverings, and repeat as needed. They should appear clean at this point.

How do I store fresh fiddlehead ferns? Keep fiddlehead ferns refrigerated until you are ready to cook or preserve them. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.

How do I cook fresh fiddlehead ferns? We recommend either boiling or steaming.
  • Boiling Bring lightly salted water in a pot to a rolling boil and add washed fiddleheads. The water should fully cover fiddleheads when added. Bring the water back to a steady boil and hold for 15 minutes. 
  • Steaming Bring a small amount of water to a boil preferably in steam apparatus. Add washed clean fiddleheads and steam for 10-12 minutes. 
Serve at once with optional melted butter and/or vinegar. The sooner they are eaten, the more delicate their flavor.

Note: Sautéing, stir-frying or microwaving ostrich fern fiddleheads are NOT recommended methods for cooking fiddleheads. Fiddleheads should be boiled or steamed prior to use in recipes which use further cooking methods like sauteing, stir-frying or baking.
How do I preserve fresh fiddlehead ferns?  View this great video on preserving fiddleheads from U of Maine!


For more recipes, see the University of Maine's webpage dedicated to fresh fiddlehead ferns!

Buy now:  Ruma's Fiddleheads are here!


Monday, May 6, 2013

Clang Clang Clang! (Ringing Triangle) Fiddleheads are here! Fiddleheads are here!


Fresh fiddlehead ferns have arrived! 

Where does Ruma's get the fiddleheads?:  For over ten years, we have partnered with growers so we can get fresh fiddlehead ferns directly from the growers.  

How much do the fiddlehead ferns cost?: See our website for pricing and click here to order!

How do I prep the fiddleheads?: To cook fiddleheads, remove the yellow/brown skin, then boil the sprouts twice with a change of water between boilings. Removing the water reduces the bitterness and the content of tannins and toxins

Do you have any recipes for fresh fiddlehead ferns?  Take a look below at the recipes we have posted! We also have other recipes on our website!

How long does the season last?: Generally, the season is just a few short weeks in the spring.  Mother Nature is in charge so we never know when the crop will end.  We guess that the 2013 fiddlehead season will end in the beginning of June.

Sunday, May 5, 2013

Emeril's Fiddlehead recipe - BAM!

If you love food, and you love entertainment, then you certainly love Emeril!  (We love all three, too!)

We stumbled on his Fiddlehead Fern and Angel Hair Pasta recipe  and had to share:
  • 1 pound fiddlehead ferns
  • 1 pound angel hair pasta
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 tablespoon truffle oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Grated Parmesan, for garnish
Here's how to do it - BAM!
  1. In a large pot of boiling salted water, blanch the fiddleheads until they are crisp-tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. 
  2. Remove the fiddleheads from the water and shock them in a bowl of ice water (unless you are going to use them immediately).
  3. Drop angel hair pasta into the same pot of boiling water used for fiddleheads. 
  4. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes or until al dente.
  5. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat olive oil. 
  6. Saute fiddlehead ferns, green onions, and red pepper flakes for 2 minutes. 
  7. Drain pasta and add to skillet. 
  8. Toss with truffle oil and salt and pepper. 
  9. Divide pasta among 4 plates and garnish with grated cheese.
Emeril also adds this special recipe at the end for "Essence Creole Seasoning" - sounds divine!
Look at all these recipes we found on The Food Network site!

What are you planning to do with your fresh fiddlehead ferns?

You can buy Fresh Fiddlehead ferns at Ruma's!

Wednesday, May 1, 2013

We've been Pinning! And we are about to Pickle (fiddleheads, that is)

As we wait for the first crop of fresh fiddlehead ferns to arrive at our store, we have been looking for more ways to cook these little guys.

We found so many great recipes that we had to start pinning them to a board on Pinterest!  Don't you love this tool?!  We do!


We all know how to cook these fiddleheads, but we love how the artistic crowd is using them to decorate such as as a flourish in this bouquet, as a boutineer for the dapper groom.

We have to say, we have cooked fiddleheads many ways, but we have yet to pickle them!  This new pickling fiddlehead recipe is on our list for spring 2013 now!

 From Serious Eats
  • 1/2 pound fiddlehead ferns
  • Kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon dill seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 2 allspice berries
  • 1 garlic clove, smashed

The How-to:

  1. Place fiddlehead ferns in a large bowl of cold water and wash well. Rub away any brown chaff and trim cut ends.
  2. Add two tablespoons of salt to two quarts of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add fiddlehead ferns and cook for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water.
  3. Combine vinegar, 1/2 cup water, and 1 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Place spices and garlic cloves into the bottom of a prepared pint jar. Pack fiddlehead ferns into the jar and add hot pickling liquid to cover.
  4. Wipe rim, apply lid and ring and process in a small boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes. Remove jar from canner and let cool on a folded kitchen towel. When jar is cool enough to handle, remove ring and check seal.
  5. Sealed jars can be stored in the pantry for up to one year. Unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used promptly. Let these pickles age for at least a week before eating.


About the author: Marisa McClellan is a food writer, canning teacher, and dedicated pickler who lives in Center City Philadelphia. Find more of her jams, pickles and preserves (all cooked up in her 80-square-foot kitchen) at her blog, Food in Jars.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Patiently, we await the fiddleheads!

This long, cold New England winter has kept our fiddlehead ferns underground for a few extra weeks this season.  If we were to try to harvest now, we'd be walking around in the mud aimlessly!

Clearly, Mother Nature is teaching us a lesson in patience this winter!  But we think it is all worth the wait! Six whole weeks of availability for these delicious ferns!

As always, Ruma's will be ready to sell to you both wholesale and retail:
  • 5# bags of fresh, cleaned fiddlehead ferns
  • 10# bags of fresh, cleaned fiddlehead ferns
  • 20# bags of fresh, cleaned fiddlehead ferns

Market prices to be determined.

Need a larger quantity?  Let us know and we will give you a price!

Ruma's Fiddlehead Ferns
617-389-8090
sales@rumas.com


Monday, April 8, 2013

Fiddles + Chives + Quinoa

We stumbled upon this recipe - and amazing photos - so we thought we'd share!

Fiddleheads and Chives with Quinoa Pasta


  • 2 cups fiddleheads, washed and cleaned
  • a few stalks of chives (use as many or few as you want)
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to season
  • red chili flakes (optional)
Preparation
  1. Clean fiddleheads by brushing away dirt and / or washing and soaking them in two changes of water.
  2. Put stove on medium heat and boil or steam them for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Drain and dry well.
  3. In another pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add chives to the pan and sweat for a minute or less.
  4. Add the fiddleheads and sauté them until fragrant, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Serve immediately or add to your choice of pasta*.
Notes
*For the pasta, I put the snipped chives with flat-leaf parsley in a food processor with olive oil. Purée until smooth.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Fresh fiddlehead ferns - coming soon!

Our fresh fiddlehead ferns are snug in the ground, still growing each day and gathering all of their nutrients before they are harvested.

We eagerly await these delicious fronds each year, anticipating their bold flavor.  A bonus? They pack a powerful punch of vitamins and minerals!

Fiddleheads:
  • contain only 34 calories per 100 g. Nonetheless; their high-quality plant-nutrition profile consists of health benefiting antioxidants, vitamins, and omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids.
  • high in antioxidant vitamin-A, and carotenes.  Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucus membranes. It is also an essential vitamin for vision. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin A help the body protects against lung and oral cavity cancers.

  • excellent source of many natural poly-phenolic flavonoid compounds such as α and ß-carotenes. Carotenes convert to vitamin A inside the body.

  • rich in vitamin C. Together with flavonoid compound like carotenes, it helps scavenge harmful free radicals, and offer protection from cancers, inflammation, and viral cough and cold.

  • shoots are a very good source of minerals and electrolytes, especially potassium, iron, manganese and copper.  Potassium is a heart friendly electrolyte, which helps reduces blood pressure and heart rate by countering sodium effects.

  • contain small to moderate levels of some of the valuable B-complex group of vitamins such as niacin, riboflavin, and thiamin.

    One little fern can pack all that in? That Mother Nature sure is talented!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Fiddlehead Fern and Potato Hash

Most people we talk to prefer to do minimal work with the fiddleheads and let their authentic, nutty nature shine.

The basic recipe:
Directions:
  1. Blanch fiddleheads in boiling water for 1 minute
  2. Remove from heat, drain, rinse and cool fiddleheads
  3. Heat pan without oil first (so that the oil 'hits' a hot pan, not a cold pan)
  4. Heat up oil in pan
  5. Add chopped garlic
  6. Add blanched fiddleheads
  7. Enjoy!

However, we are always looking for new ways to serve our little fronds.  We found this recipe for Fiddlehead Fern and Potato Hash here.   Two of our favorites: fiddles and fingerling potatoes!

You need:
  • Coarse salt and ground black pepper
  • 1 1/2 pounds small potatoes, scrubbed and halved
  • 1/2 pound fiddlehead ferns, cleaned and trimmed
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 shallot, thinly sliced

Directions

  1. In a medium pot of salted water, bring potatoes to a boil and cook until knife-tender, about 8 minutes. Add fiddleheads and cook until bright green, about 1 minute. Drain and set aside.
  2. Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and cook shallot until golden, about 2 minutes. Add potatoes and fiddleheads and cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

     




    Let us know!
    Andrea

Friday, March 15, 2013

Fiddlehead Recipe: Spring Risotto with Asparagus and Fresh Fiddlehead Ferns

We have several recipes on our site, but let us know what you plan to do with your fresh fiddles!

We love reading about how others have used their fresh fiddleheads in fancy ways.  We found this great recipe from the Kitchn (if you aren't a regular reader, you oughta think about adding this to the list!)

This recipe was win-win since it has both fiddles and aspargus (a lifelong favorite of mine!)

Fiddlehead Recipe: Spring Risotto with Asparagus and Fresh Fiddlehead Ferns

Gather and measure all of your ingredients: 
  • 1 1/2 cups fiddlehead ferns
  • 1 1/2 cups asparagus tips
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, washed well, and diced.
  • 2 scallions, white parts only, washed and minced.
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice (also called risotto rice)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • approximately 5 1/2 cups hot vegetable or chicken stock
  • zest of 1 large lemon
  • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • Start by preparing the vegetables. 
    • Boil a medium sized pot of water, and have ready a large bowl of ice water. 
    • Thoroughly wash the fiddlehead ferns, then rub them in a kitchen towel to remove any of the brown paper-like chaff. 
    • Cut off any brown tips or blemishes. 
    • Rinse again if necessary.
    • Blanch both the asparagus and fiddlehead ferns for about 2 minutes, until bright green, then plunge into the ice water bath to stop the cooking. Set aside.
  • Bring the broth to a simmer, then cover and keep warm over medium-low heat. 
  • In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. 
  • Add the leeks, scallions, and garlic, and saute until tender and almost translucent -- about 5 minutes.
  • Add rice, and stir until grains are translucent at their edges but still opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. 
  • Add wine, and stir until liquid is almost completely absorbed. 
  • Add the warm stock by the cupful, stirring until rice has absorbed nearly all of the liquid before adding the next cup.
  • When rice is almost done (about 15 minutes), stir in the blanched and drained vegetables and the lemon zest. 
  • Stir in the last 1/2 cup of stock, then add the cheese and remaining butter.
  • The risotto should be creamy and tender, and the vegetables cooked but with a remaining firm bite. Serve immediately.

Thanks to The Kitchn for the recipe!


Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Fiddlehead Cashew Stirfry

We have all of our ingredients ready - we are just waiting for the little fiddles to burst through the ground so we can harvest them!

Until then, we have this prepped and ready! Can you tell we are excited!?

We found this Fiddlehead Cashew Stirfry recipe as we were looking around our Pinterest Board.  Are you pinning as well?

Gather your mis en place:
  • 2 cups fresh or frozen fiddleheads (we like fresh ones, of course!)
  • 1 cup snow peas
  • 1 cup diced carrots (coins)
  • 1 cup fresh beansprouts
  • 1/2 cup chopped brown mushrooms
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews
  • 1 Tbsp butter or oil (butter is richer)
  • 1 tsp fresh ground ginger root
  • Garlic & Tamari soy sauce to taste
To prepare:
  1. Wash and prepare the fiddleheads by removing the fuzzy fronds and cutting off any dry ends. Prepare other vegetables and ginger. 
  2. Preheat butter or oil in wok or sautee pan, medium heat. 
  3. Stir-fry the fiddleheads for 10-12 minutes (longer for frozen) until the fiddleheads take on a vibrant green shade and are soft (fully cooked, not crunchy!).  Cook longer if the fiddleheads are at all crunchy. 
  4. Add carrots, peas, mushrooms, cashews, ginger garlic and soy sauce. 
  5. Add beansprouts last. 
  6. Cook another 1-2 minutes until all veggies are cooked but not too soft. 
  7. Serve with rice or fine rice stick noodles and classical violin music.

Fiddlehead recipes 


If you are looking for fresh fiddleheads straight from the farmers, look no further: Ruma's is your purveyor of the freshest fiddles around.  We ship nationwide! Stay tuned for the season! Hopefully early April!

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Fresh Fiddles - not just for eating!

Sure, sauteeing fresh fiddlehead ferns is the way to go; after all, we wait all year for that small 6-week window of availability!

But we have seen some really amazing uses for these ferns and not all of them involve a saute pan!

Check out what our friends on Pinterest have shared!

We found this beauty at http://www.thebridescafe.com/?postID=539&diy-boutonniere

You could eat the fiddlehead, or decorate with it!

What creative uses have you had for our little fresh fiddlehead ferns?

Let us know!
Andrea and the Ruma Fiddlehead Team

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Fiddlheads - coming soon!

It's never  too early to be thinking of fiddleheads!  Sure, the temperatures and the wind may tell us otherwise, but we at Ruma's are always planning so that we can bring you, our customers, the very best that nature has to offer!

As always, we will be first in line for the crop this year!

And as always, you will be able to buy direct from us!


Chefs and other retailers, feel free to contact us directly for large, bulk orders!  Make Ruma's fiddleheads the star of your plates!

Contact Jim, Mark or Nancy with any questions: 617-389-8090