What happened to Spring?
Wow, where has Spring sprung, because it is not here in Calgary. It is raining, that “wet that gets into my bones” weather where I can’t warm up. So... I am making my own comfort zone of Spring in my kitchen (office/family and friend gathering area), turning Farmer’s Market succulent stalks of Spring fiddleheads into a stockpot of heart and soul soup.
I miss walking bare foot into our several large and sometimes overgrown gardens in Saskatchewan pulling dirt covered fresh vegetables whenever I need them. I hated cleaning them, so I guess that’s why I love the Farmer’s Market. The vegetables are already cleaned.
Most recipes for fiddleheads are cream-based but I want to make something earthy and light, so I went with a combination of flavored stocks today. I’ll add a fresh loaf of bread or some crostini for the calories.
I hope you try the recipe and love it, but hurry as fiddleheads are from the ostrich fern and they grow their shoots in Spring and there is usually only a two-week span of availability.
Fiddlehead Soup with Homemade Crostini
Time to table: Minutes 45 | Serves 6
Succulent stalks of spring simmered in stock and a splash of lemon juice. The fresh dill and pinch of spice from cayenne pepper add just the right flavor. Fiddleheads are only available in the spring season and are limited to a two to three week span.
3 tbsp. butter
1 small red onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 cups fresh mushrooms, sliced
5 cups fiddleheads, washed and ends trimmed
½ cup fresh dill, chopped finely
2½ cups vegetable stock
2½ cups chicken stock
2 tbsp. beef Bovril
6 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. black pepper
Crostini
1 small baguette sliced into ¼ to ⅜ slices
½ cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
To prepare Fiddlehead Soup:
In a large stockpot, melt the butter. Add the red onion, garlic, and mushrooms. Cook over medium high heat until mushrooms are golden. Add the fiddleheads and sauté for 3 minutes. Pour in the vegetable stock, chicken stock and beef Bovril and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the lemon juice and the fresh dill. Season with cayenne pepper, salt and pepper. Let the soup rest on low for 20 minutes to let flavors infuse and fiddleheads get tender. Serve with a sprinkle of fresh dill as a garnish with a crostini.
To prepare Crostini:
Preheat oven to broil. Place the sliced bread on baking sheet. Rub the crushed garlic over the bread slices and then drizzle with the olive oil brushing to even it out. Season with the slat and pepper. Broil in oven 2 minutes until golden. Remove from oven flip bread slices over brush with remaining olive oil and broil in oven allowing the bread to brown for another minute.