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Along the Natchez Trace

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Short and Tasty....

I know, the saying is "short and sweet"....  but while this blog might be short, it's more tasty than sweet....

One thing that's for sale here this time of year is Fiddleheads.  That's the tops of ferns as they start to unfurl as they grow.  When they're still developing they're tender and actually quite tasty...
I had a package of Trader Joe's bacon... ends and pieces, and fried some until crisp.  Then added the fiddleheads  (lower right) and steamed until tender (left)...  the end result was a delicious meal (upper right).  I did add a few links of Rich Blaziers bratwurst (he has a farm back in Ohio and sell pork, domestic rabbits and eggs).  Those sliced tomatoes were okay.....   it will be a while before we have "real" tomatoes of our own. 

I'd heard that fiddleheads taste somewhat like asparagus.  I'd be hard pressed to describe the real taste as I think the bacon overshadowed them.  But they were good and I'll fix them again if they're still available this weekend.

One thing that is definitely NOT a staple in the Maine diet is Pico de Gallo...
But the ingredients to make it are for sale at the groceries.
Pico de Gallo translates to "beak of the rooster".  I have no idea how it got its name, I just know that we love it and I fix it often.  I use cilantro, onion, tomatoes, a variety of peppers (all hot), and squeeze a fresh lime over it all and mix well.  Cilantro cost .98 a bunch up here!  We like a lot of it so this batch has 2 bunches.  I've never paid that much for cilantro anywhere, but like the tomatoes...  what I have planted will take a while before it's ready to eat.

By the way, that dishcloth the veggies are on was a gift from fellow blogger, Joanne (Cup on the Bus).  She's a weaver and honored me by sending me a couple of towels.  What a wonderful gift!

Just so you don't think I spend all my time cooking and eating...  
This pair of Canada Geese have 4 babies!
I think these goslings hatched on Sunday.  Notice how Mom and Dad keep the kids between them?  They are very protective of their young.  These were the first waterfowl babies I'd seen this year, but shortly after seeing these, I saw a Black Duck with some ducklings down in the marsh.  I couldn't count the babies.  

It's cold again today... was 45 degrees at 4:30 this morning and isn't expected to get much above 50 degrees.  It is trying to spit rain...  just an all around gloomy day.

We're all still getting ready for the Bird Festival this Saturday, so I better get busy.

That's All For Today!

7 comments:

  1. That is cold, for a June morning. The photo of the Canada geese with young is beautiful! Cilantro isn't a dollar a bunch here right now, but it can be expensive, am growing my own this year too!

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  2. I've often wondered what fiddleheads tasted like. Now mixing them with bacon, would have sold me. ;)

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  3. I'm pleased as punch that towel is doing its job and not hanging in the guest bathroom!
    As my friend Ann says, there is no recipe that cannot be improved by bacon, butter or cheese.

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  4. Not that looks like a yummy feast you had.

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  5. We have ferns in the UK and they have curly unfuling tops like that but we don't eat them. Maybe ours aren't edible. We call cilantro coriander here. I'm going to make that salad. I love raw coriander.

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  6. Fiddleheads...I have never heard of it. I will have to keep that in mind if we get up that way.

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  7. We have had our share of fiddleheads while in Maine and I like using serrano peppers in my pico de gallo. Sometimes I blend it all up to make a great salsa too.

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