EDIBLE PRETTY YOUNG THINGS

One of the most delicious joys of spring is the abundance of baby vegetables. Tender, sweet, and beautifully formed, they are treats to both taste and behold.

Today, we are featuring baby artichokes and fiddleheads, two of our spring most beautiful favorites.

BABY ARTICHOKES

Baby artichokes have one big advantage over their more mature relatives -- You can eat the whole things!

The leaves and stems are tender. They have no developed chokes upon which to choke yourself. They also don’t have much heart -- but they have other joys.

We like them lightly steamed or sauteed, with melted butter. They are also welcome additions to spring medleys and stews.

As a slightly guilty pleasure, the way we like them best, is deep fried. Perfect with homemade mayonnaise dipping sauce.

FIDDLEHEADS

Edible young ferns are called fiddleheads because their tightly furled fronds resemble the ends of fiddles.

As they mature, they unfurl, but fully opened, they are less delicious.

Fiddleheads taste a bit like asparagus. We like them lightly steamed or sauteed, so they retain a fresh green vegetal flavor and a slightly crisp texture.

They can be served simply with melted butter or hollandaise, just like asparagus.

Fiddleheads are also a lovely substitute for asparagus in vegetable medleys, pasta dishes, and other spring recipes. We created a scrumptious melange with prawns, baby portobellos, ramps, and vermouth cream on campanelle.

Fiddleheads are a beautiful addition to all sorts of vegetable melanges. Try adding them to a traditional Korean bibimbap, as we did when we created “Bibimbap with Fiddleheads & Lacquered Tofu.”

Fiddleheads are foraged in the spring in most temperate locales. Edible varieties of fiddleheads include;

• Western sword fern, (Polystichum munitum), "king of northwest ferns."
• Bracken, (Pteridium aquilinum), found worldwide (Toxic if not cooked fully)
• Lady fern, (Athyrium filix-femina), throughout most of the temperate northern hemisphere.

• Ostrich fern, (Matteuccia struthiopteris), found in northern regions worldwide, and the central/eastern part of North America
• Cinnamon fern or buckthorn fern, (Osmunda cinnamomea), found in the eastern parts of North America, although not so palatable as ostrich fern.

• Royal fern, Osmunda regalis, found worldwide
• Midin, or (Stenochlaena palustris), found in Sarawak, where it is prized as a local delicacy
• Zenmai or flowering fern, (Osmunda japonica), found in East Asia
• Vegetable fern, (Athyrium esculentum), found throughout Asia and Oceania

Fiddleheads are high in antioxidants, omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids, iron and fiber.

Read more about Beautiful Youth in 10 Precious Images & Ideas About The Beauty of Youth and Beautiful Baby Superstars Seen For The First Time Now.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by brando.n. “Artichokes of Tuscany II.”
2. Image: by brando.n. “Artichokes of Tuscany I”
3. Image: by Greg Woodhouse. “Artichokes Growing 2”
4. Image: by Jimmy Baikovicius. “Alcachofa - Alcaucil”
5. Image: by Andrei Zverev. “Ostrich ferns.”
6. Image: by Roger That's Me. “Grönt...Ormbräken.”
7. Image: by peppergrasss. “Fiddlehead.”
8. Image: by Shira White. “Campanelle with Prawns, Baby Portobellos, & Fiddleheads.”
9. Image: by Shira White. “Bibimbap with Fiddleheads & Lacquered Tofu.”
10. Image: by Roslyn Uttleymoore, travelphotosfoodandlife. “Warabi Fiddlehead ferns.”
11. Image: by Hornbeam Arts. “Ostrich Fern.”
12. Image: by ekenitr. “Osmunda regalis, Royal Fern, Koningsvaren, Osmonde royale. Königsfarn.”
13. Image: by 8535937. “Fiddleheads at the Seattle Farmer's Market.”
14. Image: by Brian Brown. “Sprout.”
15. Image: by mio-spr. “@@@@@”
16. Image: by BN App - Download now!
17. Image: by Shira White. “Steamed fiddleheads.”