Mmm ... fiddleheads
* Editor's note: Last week's Nutrition Notes was inadvertently cut in half. Here is the article in full. This Week apologizes for any confusion caused by the error.
My old neighbor used to say, when the mouse ears are on the popples, it's time to go to the riverbank. Translation: when the leaves on the poplar trees have their new leaves and they are as small and as fuzzy as mouse ears, it's time to pick fiddleheads.
Fiddleheads are our own New Brunswick Spring delicacy. The thought of a mouth-watering plate-full sends us donning gum boots for our first foray into the woods and to the stream banks even before all of the snow has disappeared.
There amid the alders, Trout Lilies and Colt's Foot and all the new growth of spring, the shoots of the Ostrich Fern - what we call fiddleheads - can be found.
Known to North American Native people long before settlers arrived fiddleheads have been enjoyed for thousands of years.
They are distinct from other ferns because of their brown papery covering. My daughter and I have some secret spots where we pick - a clear, fast running stream in the hills that we know is clean and carries no pollutants. In the spring bacteria and pollutants can be washed into streams by the melting snow and can cause gastric disturbance.
They are at their tender best when still tightly curled and just peeking out form the mud, about 1-2" high. They usually grow in clumps, but I am always careful not to pick all the shoots form one bunch, to insure that there will be some there the next year.
It's just a delightful way to gather the first fruits of the earth. A rite of Spring. A celebration.
Fiddleheads are really, really good for you, too. They are rich in potassium, iron, niacin, riboflavin, magnesium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, manganese, and protein.
One seven ounce serving contains 20% of the daily vitamin A requirement, 12% of Vitamin C requirement and has only 9.5 calories. That is, if you don't drown them in butter.
After gathering, fiddleheads need to be cleaned of mud and their thin brown papery covering. Some people shake them in a paper bag, or the covering can simply be cleaned off by hand.
Then, place them in a colander and run cold water over them several times. They should be served within hours of picking for best nutrition and flavor.
They need to be cooked thoroughly - steamed or boiled for 10-15 minutes, to avoid food poisoning or diarrhea. A light saute will not do. But don't cook until mushy. You still want some crunchy texture and green color.
I use them in many dishes - quiche, soup, casseroles, crepes, salads and stir fries or just as a side dish with lemon juice and olive oil, cheese sauce or just melted butter.
Free, nutritious food from nature. Eating fiddleheads makes me feel rich and full of the hope and enthusiasm of spring.
* Elaine Mandrona is a locally based registered nutritional consulting practicioner who advises people on nutrition and weight loss, as well as a Nutritionist with Healthier for Life Nutrition and Weight Loss Centre. If you would like to reach her, please phone 874-8142.
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