Fiddleheads & Nuptials

First Fiddleheads & a Maine Wedding

A wedding in paradise. Mount Desert Island from Bar Harbor to Bass Harbor was my home this past week. My favorite (and only) nephew married his college sweetheart. Throughout a number of gorgeous Maine days, family and friends celebrated the event with laughter and joy and delicious food (tiramisu, salmon in wakame crust, smoked local mussels, haddock with lobster sauce, and oh so much more including fiddleheads). We shed tears of joy as Dan and Mariya gave voice to their love through their shared vows. Such a delight to have been there. So many wonderful memories.

A very few pictures
I left the taking of wedding pictures to the professionals. I came home with a very few pictures to share with you of some of the other highlights of my days on Mount Desert Island. This portrait of the just married Dan and Mariya was taken by one of their friends.

Ann’s Point Inn

In Bass Harbor, the “quiet side” of Mount Desert Island, my brother and sister-in-law own a most beautiful and contemporary bed and breakfast. Bounded by 700 feet of private shoreline, it reigns majestically at the tip of a peninsula. The tide receded each morning revealing a rocky shoreline strewn with thousands of mussel shells, lush green grasses and deeply purple seaweed.

Asticou Azalea Garden

We were a week or two early visiting this beautiful Japanese garden. Only one azalea bush was in full bloom. Its deep pink blossoms became the background for a number of family photos.

I love the look and peaceful presence of Japanese stone lanterns. A number of tōrō added their stately beauty to the garden.

Star magnolia
Look at these lovely gangly white blossoms. Star Magnolias seemed to be the first Mount Desert Island tree to flower in the spring. The only tree in bloom at the Bar Harbor Inn was a star magnolia. Fortunately for me, it stood just outside my room’s back patio. The amazing blossoms in this photo belong to a star magnolia tree that graces a hillside along the road to the Asticou Azalea Garden.

Shore path

At least once a day I walked the mile long shore path in front of the Bar Harbor Inn. Originally created in 1880, this path follows the coastline on the eastern side of Bar Harbor and Mount Desert Island. Every few steps revealed more beautiful vistas and gorgeous old homes. I especially enjoyed the golden lichen on this old stone post anchoring a sun-bleached wooden fence.

My first fiddleheads
Fresh, clean tasting and tender green fiddleheads are a traditional dish of Mainers and Maniacs. If the wedding had taken place anywhere other than Maine, I would still be long for my first taste of fiddleheads. Instead, I’m now longing for my second taste.

My sister-in-law, always on the lookout for fresh fiddleheads, spied some in a natural market in Ellsworth on our way to the Bangor airport. When she learned I’d never tried fiddleheads, she filled a bag and gave them to me. They ended up being stored in my checked luggage for about 24 hours (due to a rescheduled third leg of my flight home) and looked a bit ragged when finally unpacked.

Fiddlehead facts

• So named because they resemble the curled ornamentation on the end of a fiddle and other string instruments.
• Ediblefiddleheads are the young coiled fronds of the ostrich fern.
  • Although nearly all ferns have fiddleheads, not all are edible, and some varieties are mildly toxic and even considered carcinogenic.
• Only available for 2-3 weeks in early spring in the northeastern U.S., British Columbia, Northern California, parts of the Midwest and the Southern Appalachians.
• Eat them soon after they’re harvested as they don’t store well.
• Fiddleheads must be cooked prior to consumption.
• Controversial cooking times ranging from a high of 15 minutes to a low of 5 minutes. Your choice, though I can only imagine a soggy muddle after 15 minutes.

Fiddleheads Sautéed w/ Butter & Garlic

Some people say fiddlehead ferns taste like asparagus.
After his first taste, Paul said “they’re better than asparagus.”

Serves 2
Start to finish: 8 minutes                            Printer-Friendly Recipe.

Ingredients

½ pound fresh fiddleheads
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons butter
1 large clove garlic, crushed
Large pinch crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

1. Bring a quart of water to a boil over high heat.
2. Trim the ends of the fiddleheads. Place them in a bowl of water to remove any brown bits, dirt, etc. Then drain them.
3. Add the teaspoon of salt to the boiling water along with the cleaned fiddleheads. Once the water returns to a boil, lower the heat so the water simmers. Cook 1 minute.
4. Drain the fiddleheads and place in a bowl of ice water to stop their cooking. Lay them out on a towel to dry.
5. Place a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the butter. When melted add the fiddleheads. Cook for 2 minutes.
6. Toss with the crushed garlic. Sprinkle with the pepper flakes and a light sprinkling of salt and pepper to taste. Cook for another 2 minutes or until tender.
7. Enjoy!

Printer-Friendly Recipe.