WILD LEEKS and FIDDLEHEADS

Today we enjoyed a pan of stir-fried wild leeks and fiddleheads for lunch. Last week we went searching for them as they are both in season right now here in Ontario.

Wild leeks can be enjoyed raw, pickled or cooked. They're the perfect addition to a spring salad, you can use them in soups, pestos and stir-fries, or you can dehydrate them and grind them into powder.

Fiddleheads are called as such because they resemble the end of a fiddle. In fact, they are actually the tender unravelled stem and leaves of a baby fern. We eat the Ostrich fern. It can be found in Ontario in low lying wet areas near (or in) forests and tastes like a cross between asparagus and snap peas.

Fiddleheads should be picked only when tightly coiled. When harvesting take less than half from any one crown to ensure a sustainable harvest. Taking more can harm or even kill the plant.

Nutritionally speaking, fiddleheads contain about 22 calories, 3 grams of carbohydrates, 2.8 grams of protein and 0.2 grams of fat per half cup serving. They owe their beta-carotene content to their deep green color. Fiddleheads also provide a good amount of vitamin C, niacin and potassium.

Happy foraging everyone.