These things are beautiful. They are also hard to find. I didn’t mean to do two back to back special orders but time got away from me and I’m going to work with what I got. What is a fiddlehead you may ask? It is the new growth of a fern, you can see the leaves curled up in the center there. They have a short season and right about now is the best time to get them fresh.
I had continuously seen these pop up on my “unique vegetable” searches and I’m not sure what to expect in terms of taste. I think I want them to taste like fresh asparagus with maybe a green bean texture. Every single recipe I’ve come across makes sure you know to boil these for a bit before cooking them. Improperly handled, raw, or undercooked fiddleheads can apparently cause some stomach issues so be sure you fix these up properly.
I’m just mesmerized by them though, I feel like they are the product of a child’s drawing for a food from another world. I know it is just a spiral, but I still think it is pretty unique to warrant some awe. It does make me wonder who was the first person to try fiddleheads because I would have never thought to try this. Did someone plant a fern in a pot, saw these come up and instantly think, “forget the plant, I’m going to eat it?” Nobody else wondering? Just me?
I think when they are in a pile you can really tell how neat they are. They don’t really have a smell to them except like a fresh smell like new growth. First smells make the best impressions on me so I’m glad I didn’t open the bag to find some nasty odor come out. I’m extremely excited to show these all to you and try some interesting looking fiddleheads.
Try 52 