by Lisa Giroday, Sandra Lopuch and Sam Philips | Fiddleheads, fiddleheads, fiddleheads! How we love your crispy, asparagus-like flavour!

What makes fiddleheads such a delicacy is their ephemeral season. And, you guessed it – it’s almost over. So if you’re feeling adventurous, go on a fiddlehead foraging mission over the course of the week. Several restaurants are featuring these foraged goodies on their menus, The Acorn being one of them (sautéed fiddleheads with polenta and a brown butter puree – mmm). Chashma Heinze, the lovely woman who owns Pastiche (the vegetarian pates you see at the Vancouver Farmers Market) explains how to choose the right fiddlehead, and, has provided an insanely delicious recipe:

Choosing the right fiddleheads isn’t hard—and soon your eye will be well trained to spot the tightly furled, spiral heads. Make sure you choose heads that haven’t begun to open yet, as when they open they are no longer as edible.

The fiddleheads that are most commonly found here are the shoots from the Northern Lady Fern, and are slightly different than the Ostrich fern buds (which are more often found in the eastern parts of North America) which are cleaner and more classic looking – these will also be the ones that you will likely purchase if you buy them in the store.

Lady ferns require more cleaning to remove the dark brown papery coating.  Make sure to rinse well and blanche in lightly salted boiling water for about 5 minutes – make sure they are well cooked as this actually improves the flavor – and shock in cold water to keep the beautiful verdant green intact.

A Velouté Sauce of Fiddleheads

Spectacular over fresh, pan seared halibut, this sauce has a flavor unlike any other. It’s a take on a classic beurre blanc, which has never been known for its lack of butter. If you want to reduce the fat, try experimenting by using a good chicken stock instead of cream or try finishing with natural, creamy Greek yogurt and cutting out the butter and cream altogether. Recipe after the jump…

3-4 medium shallots, roughly chopped (about 100g)
1 tsp olive oil
250ml white wine
150ml white wine vinegar
1 Bay Leaf
1 tsp Black Peppercorns
350 g cold butter (cubed)
250ml cream 35%
1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
¼ tsp salt
100g blanched Fiddleheads

– In a medium sized saucepot, sweat the shallots and deglaze the pot with white wine and vinegar. Add the peppercorns and bay leaf and reduce the liquid by 80% on a low simmer.

– Whisk in the butter, one cube at a time—once the butter has been fully incorporated, add the cream.

– Reheat gently, add lemon and Fiddlheads and blend until smooth. Strain through a fine sieve and discard solids. Season to taste and add some finely minced fresh chives to finish.

– Since it’s a shame not to enjoy the full texture or be visually fascinated by the whole, coiled fiddlehead, I always serve this sauce with some simply sautéed fiddleheads.

– With perhaps the smallest amount of garlic (depending on your preference), toss blanched fiddleheads in some butter or olive oil and finish with a squeeze of lemon and good sea salt.

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Victory Gardens is a team of local urban farmers for hire. Lisa, Sandra and Sam help transform tired or underused residential and commercial green spaces into food producing gardens. Their goal is to challenge the way communities use space and to participate in the change needed to consume food more sustainably. For the rest of the growing season, they’ve hooked up with Scout to share some cool tips and tricks on how to get the best from of our own backyards.