Foraged Foods

Post by Olivia Martino, Co-owner and Registered Dietitian, Nourish Northwest

This is a really fun time of year to go to the farmer’s market.  The vibrancy of red strawberries gives us a feeling of excitement and anticipation about what’s coming.  But the farmer’s market stands are really only boasting a few different types of harvest right now; it’s not yet time to rely on them for your whole entire grocery shopping.  At first I looked at this as a reason to avoid going to them.  Knowing that my time is always limited and I would still have to take a trip to New Seasons, I put off my first farmer’s market trip till this weekend.  But amongst the flats of hood strawberries I found a few unique foods that will only be there for a small window of time.  I now have a totally different take on this situation, and see the spring farmer’s market trips as a rare opportunity that must be seized.  I left with my bag full of garlic scapes, fiddlehead ferns and sea beans, ingredients that I knew were about to lead me on a culinary adventure.

 

 

I had experimented with garlic scapes (also known as garlic spears) the previous week.  Garlic scapes are the tops of the garlic bulb that shoot out of the ground in early spring.  They taste like garlic but have a milder flavor.  I have heard that they make a great addition to pestos but since I had never had them before, I wanted to experience their flavor all by itself.  In a large saute pan I melted a mixture of butter and olive oil.  When that started to sizzle, I added in a pinch of red pepper flakes.  I trimmed the ends off of the scapes and then chopped the remainder into 1 inch pieces and added to the pan.  After sauteeing for about 5 minutes I added a few splashes of white wine and continued to saute until the stems were very tender.  My first few bites, i was unimpressed.  I hadn’t let them cook long enough and didn’t get much flavor out of them.  But after I patiently waited for the rest to tenderize, I quickly fell in love with this food.  The texture are flavor were delicious.  I served them alongside a simple piece of baked cod.  I will definitely be rushing to the market for these until their season is over.

 

 

 

 

 

Sea beans are a salty sea vegetable that can be found in estuaries.  The ones I purchased were from near Seaside, Oregon.  I have tried to forage for these on the coast on two separate occasions but was unable to find them.  When I saw them at the market, I had to snag them and I bit into one immediately.  The taste is best described by Shauna Ahern of glutenfreegirl.com,   “Have you ever spent an entire day at the beach, jumping the waves, eating peaches with sand on your hands, sitting in the sun just long enough to dry off, then jumping back into the ocean? Ever licked your skin at the end of that day? That’s what a sea bean tastes like.”

 

 

 

 

 

Sea beans are best eaten immediately, by themself or in salads.  Since I wanted to preserve them longer I decided to pickle them.  I followed Shauna’s recipe for quick pickled sea beans.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fiddlehead ferns are the tips of unfurling ferns.  They have a mild flavor that some describe as a cross between green beans and asparagus.  They have a slight crunch to them and are best sauteed with a little butter or olive oil.  Again, these treats don’t last very long after harvest, so prepare them soon after you get them.

 

 

 

Since I had eaten the garlic spears and fiddleheads by themselves already, I wanted to create a one pot dish with them.  I created a Spring Risotto and the result was delicious!

 

Spring Risotto

Adapted from thekitchn.com
serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups fiddlehead ferns

1 bunch garlic spears, ends trimmed and sliced into 1 inch pieces

3 tablespoons butter, divided

1 1/2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, washed well, and diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 shallot, minced

2 cups arborio or carnaroli rice (also called risotto rice)

1/2 cup dry white wine

approximately 5 1/2 cups hot vegetable or chicken stock

6 ounces dungeness crab, picked

zest of 1 large lemon

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Salt and pepper, to taste

 

Preparation

Start by preparing the vegetables. Boil a medium sized pot of water, and have ready a large bowl of ice water. Thoroughly wash the fiddlehead ferns, then rub them in a kitchen towel to remove any of the brown paper-like chaff. Cut off any brown tips or blemishes. Rinse again if necessary.

 

 

Blanch both the garlic scapes and fiddlehead ferns for about 2 minutes, until bright green, then plunge into the ice water bath to stop the cooking. Set aside.

 

 

Bring the broth to a simmer in a medium saucpan, then cover and keep warm over medium-low heat.

In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons of butter over medium-high heat. Add the leeks, shallot, and garlic, and saute until tender and almost translucent — about 5 minutes.  Add the fiddleheads and garlic scapes and saute one more minute.

Add rice, and stir until grains are translucent at their edges but still opaque in the center, about 3 minutes. Add wine, and stir until liquid is almost completely absorbed. Add the warm stock by the cupful, stirring until rice has absorbed nearly all of the liquid before adding the next cup.

 

 

When rice is almost done (about 15 minutes), stir in the crab and the lemon zest. Stir in the last 1/2 cup of stock, then add the cheese and remaining butter.

 

 

The risotto should be creamy and tender, and the vegetables cooked but with a remaining firm bite. Serve immediately.