The Main Menu: Welcoming asparagus and fiddleheads back to the table

By JAN MAIN

Welcome back Ontario asparagus and fiddleheads all the way from New Brunswick. Your delicate flavour and unique appearance have been absent these long winter months.

Now that springtime is fully underway, we hope to enjoy you. Hopefully for many outside dining experiences – cottage life, barbecues and picnics or simply dining!

To add to the enjoyment, there are cooking tips and recipes to entice you!

Preparation and Cooking Tips

Asparagus

• Select firm, deep green stalks of uniform thickness and closed tips often in purple tones. The thicker the stalk the more tender the texture.
• Store the asparagus in a plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in a pan of water if possible or ends wrapped in damp paper towel.
• To prepare for cooking, wash under cold running water then snap the ends of the stalk off where it snaps easily and toughness stops.
• Cook in a large pot of rapidly boiling lightly salted water that accommodates the asparagus lying down for 2-3 minutes uncovered. Drain and immediately serve hot. If you want to serve asparagus cold, once cooked, place in sieve and run under cold running water then cover and refrigerate.
• To serve, asparagus is delicious served simply with butter and a squeeze of lemon juice. Asparagus combines well with orange flavours, such as an orange vinaigrette. Recipe follows.
  
  Fiddleheads
• Select deep green fiddleheads curled up tightly and store in refrigerator for up to 2 days.
• Before serving, wash in several changes of cool water unfurling the head of the fiddlehead to remove the brown scaly husk.
• 2 cups (500 mL) fiddleheads serve 4 people.
• Cook uncovered in a pot of lightly salted boiling water for 5- 8 minutes or steam in a basket set over a pot of boiling water for 5 -8 minutes or until tender crisp. Like the asparagus, fiddleheads are delicious simply served hot with a squeeze of lemon and butter or cold in a salad with an orange vinaigrette.

Lemon Aioli

If serving asparagus or fiddleheads as an appetizer, this is a tasty dipping sauce.

1 cup (250 mL) commercial mayonnaise (light or full fat)
1/4 cup (50 mL) olive oil
2 tsp (10 mL) grated fresh lemon rind
1/4 cup (50 mL) fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1 clove of crushed garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl or jar, whisk together mayonnaise, olive oil, lemon rind, juice and garlic. Taste. Season with salt and pepper.
Store in jar covered and refrigerated for up to 5 days.

Asparagus Salad with Greens, Red Pepper, Oranges and an Orange Vinaigrette

Both asparagus and fiddleheads have an affinity for orange; they are delicious in a salad of greens, red pepper sliced oranges and tossed with this vinaigrette.

This vinaigrette is tasty with fiddleheads too!

2 heads of Ontario greens such as Boston, washed and dried
1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 lb (500 g) asparagus, tough ends removed, cooked until tender crisp and
cut into 2- inch (10 cm) portions
1-2 oranges, skin and pith removed, thinly sliced horizontally
Orange Vinaigrette
1/2 cup (125mL) olive oil
1/2 cup (125 mL) fresh orange juice
2 tbsp (25 mL) liquid honey
1 tbsp (15 mL) white wine vinegar
2 tsp (15 mL) grated orange rind
1 clove crushed garlic
1 tsp (5mL) salt
1/4 tsp (1 mL) pepper

Vinaigrette: In a jar or food processor, combine oil, orange juice, rind, honey, garlic, white wine vinegar, salt and pepper.
Refrigerate until serving time. May be covered and refrigerated for up to 1 week.

Toss salad with just enough vinaigrette to lightly coat leaves just before serving.

Amount will probably be enough for at least 2 salads. Salad serves 4.

It may be assembled a day ahead, kept covered and refrigerated. Toss with vinaigrette just before serving.