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(recipe, Hillsdale Farmers' Market)
Introduction
Recipe From Chef Kathryn Yeomans Fiddlehead ferns are a sure sign that spring has arrived. The unfurled frond of edible species of ferns, this vibrant green vegetable is wild harvested from the wet woods. They are exciting because they are one of the first crisp green spring vegetables to turn up at the market, preceding asparagus often by several weeks. Some liken their taste to a cross between asparagus and okra, though they are distinctly flavored - very green and woodsy. Fiddleheads have a short season, so it's best to have fun with this whimsical vegetable while it's here. *Cooking Notes Fiddleheads will go from tender to overcooked in a very short time, much in the same manner as asparagus. Taste a fern after 2 minutes of cooking. If you'd like them more tender at that point, let them cook another 30 seconds, then try them again. Lift them from the cooking water rather than straining them out - sometimes there is a little sediment in the fronds that will come loose and sink the bottom of the pot. Lifting the ferns out will leave it behind.
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