Fiddlehead salad

The Goods*:

1/2 lb fiddleheads

2 tsp olive oil

1 tsp toasted sesame oil

1 tsp rice wine vinegar

1 small garlic clove

1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/4 tsp country dijon mustard

Fill a medium saucepan three quarters full with water. Place on high heat to boil. Rinse the fiddleheads under cold tap water. Fill a large bowl with water and 10 to 12 ice cubes. When the water comes to a boil, add the fiddleheads. Boil for five minutes**. Remove from the water with a spider strainer and place in the ice bath. Remove the fiddleheads from the ice bath and dry throughly with a paper towel or salad spinner. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least half an hour.

Finely chop the garlic. In a small bowl, add the oils, winvegar, garlic, soy sauce, mustard, and a bit of ground black pepper. Throughly whisk until the dressing comes together. Toss with the chilled fiddleheads and serve immediately.

*One knows that spring has sprung in New England when fiddleheads begin to appear in the market. This is my first take on fiddleheads served cold.

**Normally, this would just be one step in a typical blanching process, but fiddleheads are tricky fellows. It is important to boil them to leach out certain bad things (toxins, tannins, etc.). One will notice that the water, after boiling, turns a lovely shade of brown.