Mmm … Monadnock!

Fiddlehead season is in full swing in the Monadnock region right now. I hadn’t been seeing them down my driveway and along the usual paths, but this spring has been really odd, hasn’t it? I worried that I’d missed them, but found a bumper crop this morning.

Fiddleheads are the coiled top bits of ostrich ferns which I am lucky enough to have in abundant supply underneath the powerlines down my 800 foot driveway. Once we started putting our sheep in to keep it clear instead of having the Co-op come in to cut and spray with round-up (uck!), the ostrich ferns have thrived, and I get this wonderful crop every spring.

They are very delicate tasting, sort of like a cross between a really good asparagus and mushrooms, which is a favorite omelet for me all year long. I really like to take the pups for a walk in the morning and get enough for breakfast. They really do taste the best when they are that fresh.

I wonder if there is anywhere local to buy them? I know not everyone has them growing just minutes from their front door.