See those things in that picture up there? They're not alien tentacles, if that's what you're thinking. In fact they are plant matter: Fiddlehead Ferns. They are baby ferns that have not yet unfurled their little leaves. I remember first seeing them in my grandmother's wildflower garden in the front of her house. She took me out there and showed them to me, nestled amongst the other native foliage, curled up like little snails.
I was probably about 5 years old, but I remember thinking how funny and wild they were, these little plants that looked like animals growing out of the soil. Most of my memories of my grandmother revolve around her growing and nurturing things, myself included. She grew sunflowers and jack-in-the-pulpit, all kinds of herbs, a raspberry patch and wild Tennessee flowers. She and my grandpa had a huge garden in the 2 acres behind their house, where they grew anything you could think of- potatoes, tomatoes, corn, cabbage, lettuce, lima beans, squash everything. Some of my earliest memories are of running through the rows with cornstalks towering above me, kicking thick clumps of dirt and staring into the blue sky, framed with green leaves and the silky tops of the corn. When I think of my grandmother I think of the earth, of the heady feeling of watching something grow from the soil and knowing that there are many secrets hiding within.
Now I'm older, but still looking for secrets. There are so many wild and wonderful things out there! One of them being these out-of-this-world looking ferns in the picture above. I picked up these little monsters from Far West Fungi, located in the Ferry Building in San Francisco. The friendly woman behind the counter there gave me an ice pack and wrapped them up nicely for their trip back to DC. Although I tossed the ice pack before airport security (and no one asked me any questions about the suspicious plants in my purse) they braved the trip from Cali unscathed. Unfortunately for them, their luck had run out and they were promptly submersed in boiling water upon arrival.
The recipe below is adapted from one of Emeril's recipes- he is from New England where fiddleheads are plentiful. I added extra truff oil, because let's be real here... THE MORE TRUFFLES THE BETTER. But even with all the truffles in the world, you still might not totally love fiddlehead ferns. That's right, they're cool, but they also taste kind of like grass. They definitely taste like they came from some rich, loamy soil in the woods somewhere. And just so you know, make sure that you cook them thoroughly. Apparently they are somewhat toxic when raw and can cause stomach pain. So, yeah. That being said, if you find some ferns, give them a try at least once- they appear for a limited time only each year.
Fiddlehead Ferns and Truffle Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1 lb Fiddlehead Ferns, trimmed and washed
- 1 lb angel hair pasta
- 2 green onions
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- t tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tbsp black truffle oil
- salt, pepper to taste
- grated parmesan to taste
Directions:
Fill a pot with salted water and bring to a boil. Prepare a bowl of ice water.Wash the fiddlhead ferns and trim their ends. They are kind of like asparagus- their ends get a bit dry and woody after a while.When the water is boiling, drop in fiddlehead ferns and blanch for about 4-5 minutes. Make sure they are crisp-tender but cooked through. Using a slotted spoon, transfer ferns from boiling water to ice water.
Add angel hair pasta to the same pot, and cook until tender, about 10 min (or follow package directions).Chop the green onions. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Drain and add ferns and onions to skillet. Add red pepper flakes and saute for about 2 minutes.
Drain pasta and add directly to skillet. Toss with truffle oil, salt and pepper. Serve in bowls and top with freshly grated parm.
EAT IT.