Spring Flavors Are Here!

Fresh Spinach, Escarole, Cherry Tomatoes, Boston Lettuce, Fiddleheads

Who knew that Spring was so healthy for you?

Confreda's now has all of those locally grown in our Farmers Market.

One of those vegetables stands out among the rest. The Elusive Fiddlehead. Fiddleheads or fiddlehead greens are the furled fronds of a young fern, harvested for use as a vegetable. These curly ground plant-critters are normally left on the plant, each fiddlehead would unroll into a new frond. As fiddleheads are harvested early in the season before the frond has opened and reached its full height, they are cut fairly close to the ground. Fresh fiddleheads are available in the market for only a few weeks in springtime, and are fairly expensive. Pickled and frozen fiddleheads, however, can be found in some shops year-round. The vegetable is typically steamed, boiled and/or sautéed before being eaten hot, with hollandaise sauce, butter, lemon, vinegar and/or garlic, or chilled in salad or with mayonnaise. Fiddleheads contain various vitamins and minerals, as well as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are a source of antioxidants and dietary fiber. They are low in sodium, but rich in potassium, which may make them suitable for people who need a low-sodium diet. I have never cooked Fiddleheads myself, but my Grandmother has so I will let her teach you how to cook them. She has a recipe with just six ingredients. Spring Fiddleheads & Sweet Peppers 1/2 pound fiddlehead ferns, ends trimmed 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 1/2 yellow bell pepper, chopped 1 clove garlic, mincedsalt and ground black pepper to taste Prep 15m Cook20m Ready In 35m Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Boil fiddlehead ferns for 10 minutes; drain.Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook and stir red pepper, yellow pepper, and garlic until peppers begin to soften, about 5 minutes.Stir fiddleheads into the skillet, and continue to cook and stir until fiddleheads are tender, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.