Undoubtedly one of the eeriest bits of vegetation we love to consume, fiddleheads are the fronds of a budding Ostrich fern. The name fiddlehead comes from their resemblance to the open carvings on the body of a violin.
SPRING FIDDLEHEADS
RAMPS
The French call them ail sauvage, or wild garlic. Others erroneously refer to them as spring onions, the name actually meant for those big, bulbous seasonal scallions. Wild leek is probably the most accurate nickname.
MORELS
No other mushroom looks or tastes like a morel. Their gnome-like shape and honeycomb appearance are striking. Their firm yet delicate texture, almost like a thin network of cartilage, provide a mouthfeel like no other food.
ASPARAGUS
Asparagus enjoy a worldwide popularity, and many parts of the planet see to its availability year-round. American production and harvesting starts in California in March and works its way across the country over the warmer months.
SOFT SHELL CRAB
Blue crabs continue to grow throughout their lives and, not unlike pre-teen children, they outgrow their clothes every year. This requires them to shed or “bust” their hard exterior shells and grow new ones.
WILD SALMON
Like the first pitch on opening day, the appearance of those bright, orange-fleshed fillets on the stand after an absence of months generates cheers from the crowds and marks the unofficial start of warm weather season.
