Have you ever seen vegetables as whimsical as these Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris)? Presenting…fiddleheads! Sure, they look like high fashion Philip Treacy hats, but these greens have humble roots.

According to Canadianliving.ca, “depending on the weather, they begin to appear around late April to early May along river and stream banks, in open woodlands, and at the edges of swamps and marshes across New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario.”

They are one of the favourite foods to forage in springtime, but note that only the Ostrich fern type is edible (the rest are toxic), so consult an expert first before heading out.

Called fiddleheads because of their resemblance to the arm (head) of the fiddle, they are, actually, the unfurled fronds of the Ostrich fern. And since they are harvested young (before the fronds furl out), they are cut pretty close to the ground. To clean, soak them in several changes of water until the grit is gone.

They sure do look fancy, but in reality, fiddleheads are rustic greens that grow in the wild and have yet to be tamed (read: cultivated) by man. But according to an article I found here, John DeLong of Agriculture Canada reports that fiddleheads are nutritional power houses; therefore, they should be farmed.

The article stated, “‘When we tested the activity, we found that they were twice as strong as blueberries with regard to this antioxidant activity. We didn’t expect that, that was very surprising to us,’ DeLong said Wednesday.

Antioxidants help neutralize free radicals linked to the development of a number of diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease and other age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s.

Test results also showed that fiddleheads are packed with another nutrient, omega-3 fatty acids, DeLong said.

‘They have a unique fatty acid that plants don’t normally have, which is only found in fish,’ he said.”

Are you now convinced to try fiddleheads? Here’s a little cooking tip: boil for at least 15 minutes or steam for at least 10 minutes. I also sautéed them afterwards with chives that I picked from my in-law’s garden. It’s your call: you can eat them this way…or you can also add them to pasta. I used quinoa pasta (a healthy, gluten-free alternative to regular pasta) , and I made a chive-parsley pesto-like sauce to dress it. Yum, so fresh!

And in case you are wondering how they taste like, they’re somewhat earthy, grassy, and nutty. They taste a like asparagus, but grassier.

Stay tuned for the next post: children’s fashion!

Fiddleheads and Chives with Quinoa Pasta
5.0 from 2 reviews
Print
Recipe Type: Sides, Main Course
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 20 mins
Total time: 50 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • 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.

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Walking down Via Camerelle on Italy’s Capri island once, I saw a statuesque woman with wavy golden-brown hair and flawless bronze skin. She was looking through a shop window, perhaps contemplating whether she had room in her long, slender arms to carry one more shopping bag.

She looked elegant and effortlessly put-together in her white shirt, white Capri pants (of course!), and dark, movie-star sunglasses. I see there’s a black bathing suit string peeking out from under her open collar, and a single charm necklace adorned her graceful, swan-like neck. I was immediately jealous of her beauty and of the fabulous life that she must have.

And since I love to make up stories in my head, I decided that she was either a jet-setting model, actress, or contessa, who keeps a lovely villa on Via Tragara, overlooking the dazzling Bay of Naples and those Faraglioni rocks. She spends her day taking care of business and doing some shopping (day time in the island is for tourists, after all), but it’s really at night when she comes alive. She and her dashing lover will rendezvous at the bar of Hotel Quisisana, where they’ll have a drink or two. With red-painted lips, she’ll sip her Quisi Royale – a purée of pesca (peach) and fragole (strawberry) with Laurent Perrier Champagne. He, in turn, will quaff his 250-Euro Remy Martin Louis XVIII Cognac with a debonair flair. Oh, the night is still young and one thing might lead to another…but she will worry about that tomorrow!

So, the story in my head ends there, but now, I am found wanting for a taste that reminds me of Southern Italy’s l’isola bella, Capri. Rumour has it that the famous salad of tomatoes, mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella), and basil leavesInsalata Caprese – was born here. Naturally, all the local trattorie and ristoranti over there make it a point to remind you of that!

Today, I felt like I wanted to take a trip back to Capri, so I imagined myself perched on a rustic table by the spiaggia at Marina Piccola, as I did one summer. I see some boats loading passengers eager to head out to the popular tourist attraction, La Grotta Azzura. These people here know one secret locals guard with their life: never take a boat out from the crowded Marina Grande! In a few minutes after the boat leaves, it’s just going to be me and a bottle of San Pellegrino with a plate of heavenly Caprese. And this is what I bite into…

Traditionally, Italians made their Caprese with buffalo mozzarella (from Campagna), but I only had burrata (from Puglia) at home, so that’ll do! My specialty grocer flies them in to Toronto once a week, every Tuesday, from Puglia, Italy (see the label)!

I gathered from Italian friends also that sour cream (here, used to make the biscuits) is not a typical ingredient that can be found in local markets, especially in a tiny island on the Amalfi Coast. But like most resourceful Italians, they can make their own homemade sour cream, which they call panna acida (click here to learn how to make it).

I envisioned myself living the charmed life of Signora Capri, as I ate one morsel after another, and then another, of these Caprese bites. Yes, I added some smoked Speck ham, and I used basil caviar (pesto), and I plopped them atop sour cream biscuits. Hardly traditional. But you know what? Sometimes, I don’t feel like being boring and following any rules. I’m sure Signora Capri – she there with the golden-brown hair and flawless bronze skin – didn’t get to where she is now by being boring and following rules!

Caprese Bites with Speck Ham on Sour Cream Biscuits
5.0 from 3 reviews
Print
Recipe Type: Starter
Prep time: 30 mins
Cook time: 15 mins
Total time: 45 mins
Serves: Makes 16 – 20
A light, summer appetizer inspired by the island of Capri in the Amalfi Coast, Italy.
Ingredients
  • ~~ For the sour cream biscuits ~~
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon (150 g) all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 2 tablespoons (30 ml) cold butter, cut into pieces
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 5 tablespoons sour cream or panna acida*
  • 1 egg + 1 more egg for brushing
  • ~~ For assembling the Caprese bites ~~
  • 5 Roma tomatoes or hot-house tomatoes, preferably organic, sliced
  • 1 cup (200 g) fresh mozzarella di bufala or burrata, sliced
  • few slices of Speck or prosciutto, cut
  • 1/2 cup basil pesto, preferably homemade
  • good quality extra virgin olive oil for drizzling
Preparation
  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F (220 C)
  2. Mix the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.
  3. Using a pastry blender or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles fine crumbs.
  4. Stir together the sugar, sour cream (panna acida), and 1 egg.
  5. Combine into the dry ingredients to form a smooth dough. Press the dough into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
  6. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or silicone mat.
  7. Roll our the dough in a lightly floured surface to 1/4-inch (5 mm) thick. Use your choice of cookie cutter (it should be bigger than your tomatoes) to cut out the biscuits. Gather the dough scraps and re-roll and continue cutting as needed.
  8. Use a spatula to transfer the biscuits to the cookie sheet, spacing them at least 1 inch apart.
  9. Beat the remaining egg and brush over the tops of the cookies.
  10. Bake until golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.
  11. Transfer to a rack and let cool.
  12. To assemble, start with the sour creme biscuits at the bottom, followed by the sliced tomatoes, followed by fresh mozzarella or burrata, then add a slice of Speck or prosciutto, and finally, a dollop of pesto. Drizzle with olive oil, if desired.
Notes

In Italy, when sour cream is not readily available, you can make a homemade one called “panna acida”.

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Ramp (Wild Leek) Pesto

by Jen on May 8, 2012

I grew up in the Philippines in a house with a beautiful garden. My grandmother, who lived with us at that time, had a working vegetable patch that was always verdant. We had a couple of papaya trees, a banana tree, a jackfruit tree, a calamansi tree, some tomato bushes, plus a flourishing herb garden of garlic, chive, mint, and spring onion. My grandmother also grew beautiful flowers: orchid, poinsettia,  hibiscus (gumamela in Tagalog), bougainvillea, and gardenia (rosal).

Today, I live in a condo flat in Toronto, with nary a garden in sight to call my own (unfortunately, I don’t even have a balcony or terrace). I miss my grandmother (bless her soul) and her garden, and the way she calls me to come help her tend to the plants. She was a natural nurturer – of which, I suspect, the same loving technique was applied to her 13 children. Hence, she was rewarded with abundance all her life. By the way, you read correctly – she had 13 children (read a little about her history here).

I wish to move back into a house with some land, preferably facing the north-east, so that I get that gorgeous light that’s great for photography and gardening! But while I don’t have that dream garden yet, I am content to support small-scale, local farmers by buying their seasonal produce. As often as I can, I shop at farmers’ market and buy whatever is in season.

A few days ago, I spotted these beautiful ramps (wild leeks) in the market, their long, slender leaves swaying with the wind. It made me think of a breakfast I once had at a Toronto restaurant where the chef paired them with fried duck’s egg. It was a simple, no-frills meal that really let the delicate and mellow garlicky-green onion-y flavour of the ramps shine through. Note that this herb is one of the earliest to appear in spring, thus earning its reputation as “spring’s first greens.” Interestingly enough, they only grow in the wild and can be most commonly found in the Appalachian forests. However, there’s a growing interest in learning how to cultivate these delicious herbs, as demand grows.

One thing that’s nice to know, though, ramps don’t need a lot of cooking to highlight their soft, subtle, umami-like flavour. It’s perfectly fine to eat them as is, tossed in a salad or tucked in a sandwich…or in a pesto like this one!

I made this ramp pesto by blanching the ramps first (no more than 5 seconds) in order to draw out more of its flavour, then I added some upland cress for a peppery punch; one clove of garlic for bite; some raw pistachios for richness; and Pecorino Romano cheese for more depth. To me, this is the green goddess – ramp pesto.

Here’s a secret: this pesto delivers the goodies – it’s rich in vitamins A, B12, C, K, selenium, chromium, manganese, and calcium!

So, for lunch one day, I got a little carried away with my ramp pesto. I cooked two different kinds of pasta because I just can’t get enough of this amazingly herby sauce. And since ramps are in season right now, I just had to make sure I get my fill of them before they are goné!

Tell me, dear friends, what sort of non-traditional herbs or greens do you like to use for pesto?

Ramp (Wild Leek) Pesto
5.0 from 5 reviews
Print
Recipe Type: Main
Prep time: 20 mins
Total time: 20 mins
Serves: 4
This is really a recipe that doesn’t follow any strict measurement – it all rests on your taste. But here is roughly what I used
Ingredients
  • 8 stalks ramps or wild leeks, roughly chopped
  • 1 cup loosely packed upland cress,
  • 1 garlic, smashed
  • 1/2 cup raw pistachios, shelled
  • 1/2 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, diced
  • good quality extra virgin olive oil
Preparation
  1. Blanched the ramps in boiling water for 5 – 10 seconds, then run under cold water to stop cooking (optional).
  2. After chopping all the dry ingredients (from ramps to Pecorino cheese), put them all in the bowl of a food processor and whirl while slowly streaming the olive oil.
  3. Pulse until well-combined and desired consistency is achieved.
  4. Transfer in a jar and keep in refrigerator until ready to use.
  5. Use as pasta sauce or topping.
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Blood Orange Granita

May 3, 2012
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What’s the difference between ice cream, gelato, sorbet, sherbet, granita – oh my?! According to the Kitchn: “Ice cream has a custard base of milk, cream, sugar, and (typically) egg yolks. Churning this base as it cools gives it a smooth texture and incorporates air into the ice cream. The finished product is smooth, light-textured, [...]

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Mushroom Tart with Brown Rice, Quinoa, and Buckwheat Crust

May 1, 2012
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I have recently started introducing gluten-free dishes to my family, not because any of us have celiac disease (for that, I am thankful), but because I think going gluten-free – even occasionally – has its benefits. This interest in gluten-free diet was spurred on by my younger brother who was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder [...]

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Nutty Double Chocolate Cookie

April 27, 2012
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If there was ever such a thing as one’s signature cookie, then this is mine! I’ve been making these yummy chocolate cookies since I found the recipe inside Chatelaine magazine (Canada) in 2005, and I’ve made many versions of it until I’ve achieved this! I tweaked the original recipe slightly (which only used cocoa powder), [...]

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Rainbow Kale Salad

April 21, 2012
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If salad had a gender, today’s Rainbow Kale Salad is definitely a female. She’s not a sexy siren as is a Niçoise nor a voluptuous vixen as is a Caprese. Certainly, this salad is not the manly kind that is the Caesar or Olivier (coincidentally named after the men who concocted them). My Rainbow Kale Salad [...]

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Vegetable Briouat + Memories of Marrakech

April 18, 2012
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You see, I have this obsession with Africa. (Isak Dinesen / Karen Blixen is my kind of heroine). North, south, east, west – I want to see every corner of the continent. So, for my milestone birthday next year (I just won’t reveal how old young I am, haha), my husband and I have decided that [...]

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Pork Ribs That Rock!

April 13, 2012
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I am the kind of person who is skeptical when it comes to the kind of hyperbolic statement that professes “the best this” or “the best that.” You are off-limits to such phrases unless you are Jeffrey Steingarten, Frank Bruni, or Ruth Reichl (and the likes)! Don’t tell me that a tiny trattoria off a [...]

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Crème Fraîche Crumb Muffins

April 10, 2012
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When I thought of Maria singing “these are few of my favourite things…” in The Sound of Music, you can be sure that cookbooks were making its way to my list. In fact, I have been amassing a collection for years that I am certain I have an addiction. These you see below are from [...]

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