FitSugar

Learn to Love: Fiddleheads

FitSugar — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:00:00 PDT

It's that time of year for fiddleheads, the veggie that's named because they resemble the coiled head of a violin. They're actually the tops of baby ostrich ferns, and many people go foraging for them in the woods during this time of year. Since there are many types of toxic ferns, you want to be sure you're only choosing ostrich ferns. If you don't go picking for yourself, fresh fiddleheads can be found at farmers markets and grocery stores. Just to warn you, this pricey produce can run you $12 to $20 a pound or more.

Fiddleheads must be cooked well since they contain natural substances that can cause gastric distress if eaten raw or not cooked properly. Once prepared, this green veggie tastes like Spring to me. They have a unique earthy, woodsy flavor that's a cross between asparagus, artichoke, mushroom, cooked broccoli, and cooked spinach. Look for bright green fiddleheads with tightly coiled tops. You want only one to two inches of stem attached to the coil. Anything longer should be cut off.

If you're wondering how nutritious these circular plants are and how to prepare them then

read more. Fiddleheads must be cleaned before you eat them. Use your fingers to remove any of the brownish fuzzy or papery covering that may be remaining. Then rinse them in several changes of cold water to clean off any dirt or grit. Use them as soon as possible after harvest or purchase to ensure the best taste and texture. When you're ready to cook them, place the fiddleheads in a pot of water and boil for about 10 minutes. Drain the water. Then transfer the fiddleheads to a pan and sauté in olive oil and freshly chopped garlic for another five minutes, or until the fiddleheads are soft. Don't overcook them, as they'll get mushy. Remove from the heat and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper. You may also add fresh lemon juice or vinegar. Enjoy them on their own or add them to stir-fries, pasta, or other dishes. As you can see form the chart, they're low in calories, but a great source of potassium and vitamins A and C.

1/2 cup raw	Fiddleheads
Calories	40
Total Fat (g)	0
Sodium	0
Carbs (g)	8
Fiber (g)	1
Sugar (g)	0
Protein (g)	4
Vitamin A (IU)	4,052
Vitamin C (mg)	29.6
Calcium (mg)	36
Iron (mg)	1.6
Potassium (mg)	416

Fiddleheads in Season Now

FitSugar — Mon, 12 May 2008 08:00:00 PDT

Next time you are at the grocery store or farmers market, be on the look out for fiddleheads. Not some crazy violinist, but baby ostrich ferns, all coiled up so they resemble the scroll of a violin. They really are a delicacy and May is the time to eat them.

I must warn you though, these green plants must not be eaten raw, since they contain natural substances that can cause gastric distress if not cooked properly. So just boil them for five to seven minutes or steam them for eight, until they're just tender. You may notice that the water turns brown, which is totally normal. Be careful not to overcook them as they'll become mushy and lose their wonderful flavor, which is similar to a blend of pea pods, asparagus, and artichoke.

Are these green veggies exceptionally healthy for you? To find out

read more. I was pretty impressed to find out that 3.5 ounces of fiddleheads contain only 34 calories, but an impressive 4.6 grams of protein, 370 mg of potassium, and 32 mg of calcium. So take advantage of this short season and pick some up this week. They're around $8 to $12 a pound. You can add cooked fiddleheads to pasta dishes, salads, or eat them on their own. Fit's Tips: It's very important to know that not all ferns are edible, so it's not a great idea to go out picking fiddleheads in the woods near your house, unless you or someone you know has identified them as edible and safe. Unfortunately, fiddleheads are hard to come by outside of the northeastern US. If you can get your hands on some you are lucky!

In Season: Fiddlehead Ferns

Susannah Chen — Tue, 17 May 2011 03:46:33 PDT

If there's any time to prioritize hitting up the farmers market, it's during Spring. Blink and you might miss some of the season's most prized - and fleeting - produce, like fiddleheads, the unfurled sprouts of the plant known as the ostrich fern. Harvesting season for these wild greens, which are native to the northeastern United States, only lasts a few short weeks in May, so don't miss out! A few important things to know about cooking with them, when you read more.

Perfectly Seasonal: Warm Fiddlehead Fern Salad

Susannah Chen — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 13:57:17 PDT

Fiddleheads - unfurled sprouts of the ostrich fern plant - are one of the Spring forager's most prized picks. They're not the easiest to track down, nor are they the most straightforward when it comes to cooking preparation, as they must be properly cleaned and then blanched before consuming. But all it takes is one taste, and you'll be sold.

It was deep in the rainforests of Taiwan's Hualien province that I had my first bite of the fiddlehead, then not even knowing its name. There, Taiwanese aborigines tossed it with other vegetables in a light stir-fry that revealed the plant's delicately herbaceous quality.

Since then, I've discovered one of my favorite ways to prepare the delicacy is to quickly sauté blanched fiddleheads in a warm salad dressing of cognac, red wine vinegar, and dabs of butter. For my favorite twist on the seasonal specialty, keep reading.

When You Cook Alcohol, Does It Really Burn Off?

Susannah Chen — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 01:37:32 PDT

Aside from the occasional glug of white wine, most of my cooking is done san alcohol. But after making a fiddlehead fern salad dressed with a luxurious cognac vinaigrette, I was reminded of how spiking a dish truly can take its flavor profile to the next level. As for my concerns about getting everybody woozy: "Don't worry about cooking with too much booze," every television chef has said over the airwaves. "It'll all burn off anyway." But is this true?

According to authors Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough, it's not. "Every dish made with booze still has ethanol in it," they write in their forthcoming book, Lobsters Scream When You Boil Them: And 100 Other Myths About Food and Cooking.

In fact, one minute into a full simmer, your braise, stew, or sauté will still have 85 percent of the alcohol's ethanol left behind. To get that number down to five percent, you'll need to cook your dish for a whopping three hours!

Ethanol isn't without its benefits, which include tenderizing meats and making flavors more accessible. But if you want to cater to those with personal, social, or religious conflicts, sub in white grape juice or vegetable broth instead.

Source: Flickr User enersauce

How to Trim Baby Artichokes

Susannah Chen — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 04:07:26 PDT

From exotic fiddlehead ferns to bright-green peas, there's a bevy of intriguing produce to appreciate during the short window of May and June, when greens and things are abloom all across the country. One can't-miss is the baby artichoke. Sure, we love its larger counterpart, but there's something incredibly precious about this mini version, which is so premature and tender that it's eaten whole, choke and all. Aside from keeping your eyes peeled for a rare sighting, the key to enjoying them during Spring is to trim them correctly, so they're free of any tough stems or leaves. New to doing this? Read ahead to become an instant baby artichoke expert.