May 19, 2010

Fiddledee didn't work for me

So I got this mysterious looking green thing in my box of farm share produce this week.  Thing is, when I don't know what something is, I go to the weekly newsletter and check it out.  But this week, this mysterious green was not on the list.  Everything listed I recognized, but this one, not so much.  

Google is your friend. 

I google imaged searched:

Curly cue greens.  Nope, no luck. 
Greens that look like a snail.  Got a lot of snails. 
And finally....

Food greens that look like a snail.  And there they were.  

Fiddleheads. 

Yeah, never would have guessed that one. 

Apparently, fiddleheads are a New England spring delicacy that taste like a nutty asparagus and are actually a fern, the Ostrich fern.  

Huh.  Who knew.  And people eat them. Sure, if you say so.  

They are foraged rather than cultivated and have lots of tannins so should be cooked rather than eaten raw.  (Wish I read that before tasting one of them raw.  *grumble*)

Of course, this is the first I had ever heard of them and as soon as looked it up, I have already had 4 people tell me they had fiddleheads this week. With shrimp, pasta and even pickled. 

I will say, I am not a fan. I can be a fan of everything green. Try as I may. Maybe it was how I made it - in stirfry with chicken and a curry sauce.  Who knows.  

There is more coming this week, so I *may* have to try them again. I request my kids try things more than once even with the "Aww, Mom" cries.  So I will attempt a second run.  

But now all I see are snails with little tentacles sticking out. Ick!

(Here are some recipes I may try to help me get over my fiddlehead fear.)

4 comments:

Delane said...

I love them, I have had them with spinich, garlic, BUTTER and shrimp and pasta. Really good.

Unknown said...

Fiddleheads are delicious! I just had them this week. I like to make them with morel mushrooms, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese.

Unknown said...

Christy, if you need a taker for any and all fiddleheads, I will TOTALLY buy them from you. I was raised on them, and unfortunately, I cannot find any down here. I have to have my mom freeze some for me.

brother b said...

i think they are overrated.