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!
  
  

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.
   
   
   
    
   
   
   (image from http://www.wholeliving.com/176729/fiddlehead-fern-and-potato-hash)
   
   
   
   
   What do you plan on doing with your first batch of fresh fiddleheads?
   Let us know!
   Andrea
   

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!

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.

 

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!