hooray for collaborative food! (thanks, guys.)

moosy fate and i cooked and ate together, and i'm thrilled that he can now collaborate.

at any rate. they had fiddlehead ferns at the grocery store a couple of weeks ago (yes, it has taken me that long to submit proof. i'm either lazy or busy, not sure which.) and since we'd never seen or had them before, we decided to try them. the grocery store signs touted them as being somewhat like asparagus, both in flavor and preparation, and this isn't far off.

each bite was a little different, and fascinating. woodsy, earthy, and very very tasty. though they're likely out of season now, i definitely recommend trying them. they'd be a great ingriedient in many many dishes.

[Moosy edit:] we started the sautee with red onions, red garlic, and ground pepper (mixed colors). just before the onions got soft, the fiddleheads were tossed in, and just before they were done we added the balsamic vinegar. sweet, pungent, tangy, salty, nutty, all in different balance in each bite. yum.

common name: fiddleheads, i'm guessing the exact type of ferns were ostrich ferns. named for resembling the scroll of a violin.
latin name: matteuccia struthiopteris
family: onocleaceae
season harvested: usually starting the first week of may, for a month or two. "warm spring." ferns grow very fast, and since fiddleheads are young ferns, you have to catch them before they mature and unfurl.
commonly grown: found in northern regions worldwide, and the central/eastern part of north america, favors riverbanks and sandbars
how to grow: all attempts at raising fiddleheads from seed have failed, part of why they're not more widely available in commercial markets. if you find an edible variety of fern growing near you, eat it!