We have been indulging in the food of spring at our house this week thanks to my best friend Louis. To say we are in heaven doesn’t even begin to cover it. We have both been enjoying every luxurious bite. This is the birthday present that just keeps on giving. This post is going to be about these foods and the method for dinner rather than I a recipe since I don’t expect many of you have these in your refrigerator.
Fiddleheads:
This luscious spring delicacy is the unfurled frond of a fern. It is easy to cook and reminds me of asparagus. It is also typically used the same way. I blanched it briefly then dropped it in ice bath to stop the cooking. It is great with lemon juice or just by itself. The taste is light and the texture is crunchy. Even my elderly parents like fiddleheads. Go figure!
Ramps:
These little darlings are also called wild leeks. The taste is more pungent than a shallot but not as harsh as a yellow onion. The aroma however is much more intense. I like to grill them, which is how we had them tonight. But you can also slice and sauté them.
Morels:
Who doesn’t love a fresh morel? I don’t know of anyone. These are my husband’s favorite mushrooms. He is enjoying this part of my birthday present as much if not more than I am. They frequently have little critters in them so I like to quickly submerge them to make certain the unwanted guests have evacuated.
In the past I would have sautéed these in butter. Tonight I used water and the flavor of the morel was more intense, I think because the aroma wasn’t muted by fat. I was worried about not using butter for these but I think they actually were better. This was not at all what I expected but a very pleasant surprise.
Dinner tonight:
I grilled a few ramps until the bulb of the ramps were tender, it mellows the taste. Then I water sautéed the morels for a couple minutes, add the blanched fiddleheads and a few halved cherry tomatoes. I served this over a little brown basmati rice. We used a little squirt of fresh lemon juice but a dash of truffle or walnut oil would have been great here too.
Unrelated note:
I learned quite a few interesting nutrition items today. I hope to have a post ready tomorrow on the usable nutrition information. Some of it is really too theoretical to put to use.
I hope you had a good Monday. Talk to you all tomorrow.
Wow! All new foods to me. :) Looks delicious.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to reading your next post.
Naina,
ReplyDeleteIf you ever see any of these I hope you try them. The fiddleheads are my absolute favorite. Last year for my birthday my hubby bought me 10 pounds and we blanched and froze them to enjoy throughout the year.
talk to you later,
Ali
I have not tried fiddleheads. My mom loves them. I need to try them out of course.
ReplyDeleteHeather,
ReplyDeleteIf you like asparagus you will like fiddleheads. Like your mom I adore them.
talk to you soon,
Ali
Oh my, Alicia--ramps and fiddleheads AND morels?! Yum! What a scrumptious looking meal--I am jealous :-) What a fabulous birthday present!
ReplyDeleteCourtney
Courtney,
ReplyDeleteThis is the second year Louis has sent this present from Earthy dot com. I loved it so much the other time he opted for a repeat. We still have some morels and ramps left for a few more meals. They are so good!
talk to you soon,
Ali
Hi there, I used your recipe for rice milk and it came out so thick it's like a milk shake. Is that normal? Also do you strain it with a milk bag?
ReplyDeleteShe Woke Up,
ReplyDeleteThe rice milk isn't that thick when I make it. There are a couple of options: put it back in the blender to process longer to see if that changes the texture, add more water, or strain it through a fine chinoise or nut milk bag. Any of those should work. Rice milk does tend to be thicker than almond milk. We typically add it to smoothies. But for coffee thinner would be better. I do not strain this when I make it.
Alicia
Hi, Alicia,
ReplyDeleteI'm passing on an award to you. Come on over and get it off my blog dated May 25th. :-)
"Fiddleheads and Morels and Ramps, oh my!" :-) Ali, that is one gorgeous platter of festive foods! I see Louis is helping you carry out his theory that we should celebrate our birthdays all month long, by giving you enough food to see you through till June! What a lovely chap. :-)
ReplyDeleteI can't remember the last time I had Morels - but it was a tragically long time ago. Haven't had fiddleheads since I lived in Maine (also eons ago), and 'twas you who educated me about ramps, just the other day! I imagine they all go together superbly, creating a deliciously earthy dish that would be like eating dinner in a shady forest glade with the fairy folk! :-)
I had no idea that you could eat fiddlehead ferns -- but they are really striking on a plate. If I ever run across any, I'm going to have to try them.
ReplyDeleteBlessed Mama,
ReplyDeleteThanks I will be right there. You are too kind. :-)
Alicia
La,
ReplyDeleteThanks! Louis is holding up his end of the celebrate your birthday for a month plan. Better yet he has something else for me that he plans to deliver when he is in town yet. That will also help to stretch the b'day celebration out a little while longer.
They do work together really well. Your description is much better than anything I could come up with. :-)
talk to you later,
Ali
Beatrice,
ReplyDeleteFiddlehead ferns are a great treat. I think they are only found in the wild in the spring time. Though I have bought them frozen. They aren't easy to come by here. I hope you can find them where you live. You may want to check earthy dot com. That is where these came from. I love them, they are like mild asparagus.
Alicia
I have never had any of these. I would like to try some though!!!
ReplyDeleteBrandi,
ReplyDeleteThese are my favorite spring foods. I love the fiddleheads! Last year Dan ordered me 10 pounds. I blanched and froze them to enjoy all year. They are my special treat and always remind me of spring. I think you would love them.
Dan is very fond of the fresh morels. They are easier to find than the ramps or fiddleheads.
talk to you soon,
Ali