MAGPIE'S MUMBLINGS

A blog about my interests, which include fabric landscapes and various and assorted other artsy pursuits and sometimes known to contain mumblings of a random nature.

Friday, May 20, 2016

Fiddling and Postcard-ing

I guess my picture yesterday of the fiddleheads we acquired has raised questions as to what they are.  In my naive state I thought most people would know...oops.  
Doing a 'google' led me to this....
How to find, cook and freeze fiddleheads

Fiddleheads are one of the world's coolest greens. These unfurled fronds of the ostrich fern (matteuccia struthiopteris) are known as fiddleheads because they resemble the finely crafted head of a fiddle. Depending on the weather, they begin to appear around late April to early May along river and stream banks, in open woodlands and at the edges of swamps and marshes across New Brunswick, Quebec and Ontario. They are harvested when just a few inches off of the ground so they are still tender and tightly coiled.
Loaded with healthful properties (such as iron and potassium), fiddleheads are easy to cook and, like asparagus, have a delicate green flavour that is best accentuated by simple cooking.
How to cook fiddleheads
Fiddlehead preparation is easy. With a brush, carefully remove brown scales then wash well under cold running water to remove dirt before cooking; trim woody stems. Boil fiddleheads in lightly salted boiling water for 10 minutes (or steam for 20 minutes.) Serve at once with a drizzle of olive oil or melted butter and a squeeze of lemon.
Cooked fiddleheads can also be used like blanched or steamed asparagus in pasta, quiches or omelettes. They also make lovely salads when tossed with diced tomatoes and lemon-garlic vinaigrette.
Fiddleheads are found here in Canada at the local grocery store about this time of year....or, if you want to brave the mosquitoes and black flies, you can pick your own.  There, all you wanted to know about fiddleheads and more!!
Here's my latest postcard
(#8 of 19)

There have been a couple of inquires as to how I plan to mail these. The post office will accept them as they are (after I finish them properly that is!) and will hand-cancel them.  Some people choose to enclose them in a clear plastic sleeve prior to mailing.  I plan to put them inside a regular mailing envelope - mainly because I don't trust that they won't get damaged (or stolen!) in transit.
 Talking about books made me go on a wee search for quotes regarding books/reading and of course I found a golden nugget by my favourite person - Ralph Waldo Emerson - "Some books leave us free and some books make us free"



12 comments:

  1. Great info on Fiddleheads and how to prepare them. Thank you Dear. Lovely CQ postcard. I wouldn' t trust them to arrive safely and not damaged either. Great quote.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you for the information on Fiddleheads..... they sound delicious! Hope you enjoyed the ones you were given! Another pretty postcard Mary Anne! Have a lovely weekend! Christine x

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thanks for the Fiddlehead info. Too bad we don't have them here because I can't think of a green that I don't enjoy so I would probably like them.

    I think I'm with you, I'd send a fabric postcard in an envelope. All that work deserves to be preserved in a way that you know it will get where it is going in pristine condition.

    Amazon just sent me a advertisement that included Kathy's first book. I can't believe I missed that!! I'm off to check her site to see if I can get it there.

    Have a great weekend.
    xx, Carol

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the additional info on fiddleheads! They sound great. :) Your postcard is lovely!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Yes, I'm very familiar with fiddlehead ferns, I grew up in the Pac. N.W. where they are common. I've steamed them for salads, veggies etc.
    Your newest postcard is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Another lovely postcard MA...the heart with wings really speaks to me too!
    It has been a few years since we've had fiddlehead ferns.
    We like them sauteed in butter with a bit of sweet onion and garlic ...
    you're making me hungry and it's time for bed ;-)
    Happy Sunday oxo

    ReplyDelete
  7. How very interesting - thanks for the info. If I ever get to Canada I would be keen to try them out. They sound yummy!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anonymous10:32 AM

    Your postcard turned out wonderfully. Especially love the colours. Love fiddleheads almost as much as I love shaggy mains..both are yummy!!!!
    Mrs Noofy

    ReplyDelete
  9. I ought to figure out how to ID ostrich fiddleheads as opposed to all the other ferns that appear here at this time of year...a couple are easy, but there are a few I'm not sure about. I really SHOULD look into this right away. I'm hungry!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Good to know what a fiddlehead is. I had never heard of them. I thought maybe they got the name because they are so fiddly but your explanation makes more sense. Love the postcard which happens to be in my favorite color. Sweet image too.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks for the info but I'm still intrigued about their taste. Wish I could find them around here but maybe I'll have to travel to your neck of the woods this time of year sometime and see if I can find them at the market. Your postcards are lovely, by the way!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Beautiful postcard. I tried fiddleheads for the first time this week here in Nova Scotia. We landed here on Sunday after much mutterings and delays due to mechanical difficulties!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you so much for leaving comments! I appreciate you taking the time out of your busy life to talk to me. It's wonderful to know that someone is actually reading my mumblings and even more fun if I can connect with you and visit your blog.