Edible Communities

Fiddleheads — unfurled sprouts of the ostrich fern plant — are one of the Spring forager's most prized picks. They're not the easiest to track down, nor are they the most straightforward when it comes to cooking preparation, as they must be properly cleaned and then blanched before consuming. But all it takes is one taste, and you'll be sold.

It was deep in the rainforests of Taiwan's Hualien province that I had my first bite of the fiddlehead, then not even knowing its name. There, Taiwanese aborigines tossed it with other vegetables in a light stir-fry that revealed the plant's delicately herbaceous quality.

Since then, I've discovered one of my favorite ways to prepare the delicacy is to quickly sauté blanched fiddleheads in a warm salad dressing of cognac, red wine vinegar, and dabs of butter. For my favorite twist on the seasonal specialty, keep reading.

If you're not sure what to do for Earth Day, raise a fork to Mother Earth today with a brand-new book title, Edible: A Celebration of Local Foods ($20), written by Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian, the two founders of Edible Communities. Edible is an organization that publishes magazines throughout various regions of North America that focus on the local food industry; its just-published eponymous book gives readers a glimpse of communities across the United States. Is it worth buying? Decide when you read more.