The Flavor of the Forest
Spring Fiddleheads
by Holly Madrigal
The curl of a fiddlehead, that emergent coil of fern, sparks something within me, a sort of primordial awe. A spiral born of the golden mean unfolds in perfect ratio into the leafy green that carpets our forests.
There are many types of ferns in the forests of Mendocino County. Unlike some mushrooms, you are unlikely to become severely ill from eating the wrong type of fern, but careful identification is always wise when eating anything from the forest. Some ferns do not have a particularly pleasant flavor, and others may give you an upset stomach.
You can find fiddleheads in the spring in areas near water or a creek with rich, damp soil in the shade. Midwesterners prefer the Ostrich Fern, Matteuccia struthiopteris, for its flavor, but in Northern California, Lady Ferns, Athyrium filix-femina, are more easily found. Look for the crescent-shaped stem—if it is a round stem, it’s not a Lady Fern, and you could risk an upset stomach. The bracken fern, pteridium aquilinum, is the most common, and dehydrated bracken fiddleheads are often used in Korean dishes such as Bibimbap.
The fiddleheads of the bracken fern can be foraged in spring. Think of foraging as thinning, not clear- cutting. Leaving some of a stand of bracken fern will allow it to grow and reproduce for years and years. Michelle Costa of Mendo Ferments enjoys selecting these morsels during her walks in the hills above Willits. She keeps her eyes trained on the dormant bracken fern patches for when the new growth emerges. Fiddleheads can be harvested when they are about three inches high but still firmly coiled. After a quick rinse to remove any woody debris, they are ready for the skillet.
An easy way to prepare them is to blanch them briefly, as described in Michelle’s recipe here. You may feel as if you are tasting the forest itself.
Simple Fiddleheads
INSTRUCTIONS
Toss your carefully washed fiddleheads into boiling salted water for 1-2 minutes, then drain. (Do not place the blanched fiddleheads in an ice bath, or you will lose the vibrant green color.) Ever so briefly, sauté with a little melted butter and a sprinkle of salt, keeping them firm, not mushy.
Mendo Ferments
(707) 354-5147 | mendoferments.com
@mendoferments on IG
Photo by Tim Giraudier: beautifuloregon.com