Do you like Fiddleheads? Fiddleheads are the furled fronds of a young fern, harvested to use as a vegetable in the early spring before unfolding in to the fern leaf. The fiddlehead represents one of the most important growing periods of the fern’s life cycle. Ferns regenerate through the spreading of rhizomes (root structure). The fronds specifically emerge from the soil to seek out and provide nutrients for the plant’s root system before the fronds die back in the fall months. Overharvesting of fiddleheads from the same plant can exhaust the root’s nutrient reserve to the point of killing the plant.
The fiddlehead resembles the curled ornamentation (called a scroll) on the end of a stringed instrument, such as a violin. It is also called a crozier, after the curved staff used by bishops, which has its origins in the shepherd’s crook. It is also the inspiration for my fabric line, Songo.
The name is fun, the shape is amazing and inspiring, what’s not to love about fiddleheads? Here is a great recipe for Fiddleheads Salad with Sesame Vinaigrette.