Fern Frenzy

Fiddlehead ferns are rapidly unfurling, so i have to look in the shadiest spots to find them still tightly curled up and looking like their namesake.

Years ago i transplanted ostrich ferns into some of my woodland gardens just so that i could have a ready supply of fiddleheads. Cut when they are 2 inches tall, wash, then blanch briefly. Fiddlehead ferns make an excellent stir-fry, tasting somewhere between asparagus and spinach.

I love the spring when greens to eat come straight from the garden or the woods. Transportation cost is merely a few mindful steps to the edge of the backyard. For a moment i can declare my energy independence from oil, from agribusiness, from the vast fields of central California. My energy is fueled by fiddlehead ferns.