As the saying goes, good things are worth waiting for. In terms of food you have morel mushrooms (2 weeks in April where I am from), chanterelle mushrooms in late June/ early July and fiddlehead ferns- from Canada- right now! Fortunately my local grocer, for whom I work, has them in stock. They are as they sound, a fern plant that has been picked just as it begins to grow, so it is still curled up looking like the spiral end of a violin (fiddle). Price...not important- about a gallon of gas per pound...Priceless to me.
When to eat? The big meal of the week is Sunday supper.....so invite company and plan a menu around the ferns. It's summer so I thought of grilled split marinated game hens with grilled corn and the ferns with fresh berries and whipped cream for dessert. Good and simple.
To begin with clean the ferns by trimming the end of the stem and then blanching them in salted water 1-2 min. Shock them in cold water, drain, and then toss them in a little olive oil, melted butter and seasoning. After grilling the hens, place them on the outside of the coals and place a grill pan (a sort of perforated wok pan) in the middle over the coals. Once hot, toss in the ferns, toss gently with spoons and cover 2-3 min.. Stir again and you have it. I did do the corn (soaked in the husk) on a seperate grill, but you could have done the after the game hens and before the ferns, and set them on top of the hens.
If you have never tasted this delicacy (4 of the 8 guests had not!), I'll give you the consensus...spinach but firmer, asparagus but lighter...I don't know...they do have a little earthiness to them...you decide. Trust me, don't be afraid, no one died...as a matter of fact they all enjoyed them very much (priceless). They are worth waiting for!
P.S. You can used the leftovers on pizza!
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