We are always fascinated by Mother Nature’s unique offerings and often sample and experiment with her seasonal crop. Walking through a farmers market is like walking through an art gallery, passing by an array of shapes, colors and textures. We recently stumbled upon a basket of whimsical, emerald green spirals. Fiddleheads, the name coined for their resemblance to the arm of a fiddle, are plucked when they first emerge from the soil. When prepared, the rustic yet beautiful fronds add a sophisticated visual appeal to any dish.
Intrigued by the shape and curious about the taste, we whipped up a springtime pasta dish featuring the compact spiral. The flavor is similar to asparagus or green beans with a consistency incomparable to any other vegetable. We opt to blanch and sautee the mild, nutty fiddleheads with olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes and lemon and toss them with creamy, tart goat cheese and big spools of bucatini pasta. While the creamy bucatini intertwine perfectly with the fiddleheads, there is no denying that the foraged finds steal the show.