You know that spring has sprung when you first stir in the early morning and hear the sounds of birds happily chirping out your window.  You know it’s spring when the once greyish landscape explodes into a fresh citrus green.  But you know spring is really here to stay when you see the unfurling of fiddle heads along the stream on your forest walk.  And if you haven’t taken a walk yet to a nearby stream it’s high time you did before you have to wait for spring to spring again!  These lovelies are only unfurling for a very short window of time and if you blink you’ll miss it, regrettably.  I nearly did.  If it weren’t for my dear friend Claire and her excitement on the phone the other day over the fiddle heads she’s been foraging with her little ones I might have forgotten to stroll by the stream.  So “Thank you, Claire” for the inspiration!

I’ve eaten fiddle heads before, in restaurants and I’ve picked them up from the market so this was the first time I had foraged for them and oh…. what fun! The kids and I were scrambling up hillsides, creeping across the stream on fallen trees and winding down lush mossy paths scouring the landscape for unfurling ferns and fronds.  It is so pretty in the forest right now, we kinda felt like fairies among the pretty lilies and triliums that were dancing along the pathways forbidding us from picking them, save for a few specimens to share with you.  So how to forage for fiddle head you may wonder? Well it isn’t that tricky.  The first thing is to identify the health of the stream and ensure that it isn’t contaminated or flowing with run off from nearby highways that could be toxic.  The health of the forest surrounding you is sometimes an indication of the health of the eco system where you are but not always.  Get close to the edge of the stream and open your eyes wide as you will find them here which is where they are happiest. Initially, you might miss the wee things as they blend so well with their furry fuzz near the base of the fern plants.  Look for ostrich ferns or bracken fern that are beginning to stand tall. Then look at the base and you may see a few that are just emerging from the ground or are up about 6-12″ already.  That’s the state of them in my neck of the woods right now. Of course it will vary region to region depending on how spring has sprung thus far. You may catch them at a more premature state and it will be even harder to spot them so look carefully.  The stems break off very easily, no need for clippers. Bring along small bag to pop them into or just stuff your pockets!  However, if you wish to find more in the same area next year, do be cautious not to take every fiddle head from each plant.  Remove only 3 from each crown taking care not to damage the plant or uproot the cluster.  I like to pick a stem of about 2-3 inches long cuz this is just as yummy as the head.  Be conscious of your surroundings since the lovely stinging nettle is among all this lushness right now and you might have an encounter with some which will not be pleasant unless you are prepared.  If you are donning gloves and have another bag you could also be foraging for nettles as well!  Now that’s another post but it’s yummy too if you are a keener!  Here’s an article to familiarize you with them.

Once you’ve gathered your fiddle heads bring ‘em home, enjoy their beauty, (I take pictures of them, of course!) then give them a good rinse in cool water and a gentle rub to remove the brown fuzziness from the firm stem and curling head.  You are now ready to cook or just pop them in a freezer bag and savour them for another day when the harvest is long over. Of course they are best the day they are harvested.

Here’s my munchkin admiring her harvest by the stream.

This park near our home, Todd Inlet, is such a delight for us to enjoy all year.  I especially enjoy it in the spring but we walk it all year to admire the seasonal changes.  The rushing of the stream is so soothing to be near.

It’s best to choose tightly closed heads, we did our best, but they still tasted wonderful. They have an earthy taste, kind of a cross between asparagus and spinach.  You can steam, boil, sautee or pop them into a baked dish in the oven.  Just don’t over heat them or cook them too long as you want to retain as much as possible of the heat sensitive nutrients. But don’t eat them raw as this is not recommended as they can cause indigestion (which could be as a result of natural low grade toxins that are most likely protective elements of the plants to avoid over indulging and thus saving the species from becoming extinct) The ostrich fern has the lowest level of toxins however do be cautious how much you indulge as you could over do it and become nauseated however native peoples have been eating these ferns for many, many years.  Heating them will also eliminate any impurities from their environment. Fiddleheads are packed with nutrients from an abundance of vitamin C, omega 3 & 6 essential fatty acids, Vitamin A, as well as being a very good source of minerals and electrolytes, especially potassium, iron, manganese and copper hence the desire to indulge!

Pick the tightest heads you can find and leave the looser ones to unfurl in the forest.  We have a few loose ones here, we’re still learning:)

Fiddle Heads with Creamy Kamut Orzo & Spring Peas
Yield: Serves 6-8 as a dish to accompany a nice green salad
1 1/2 cups kamut orzo pasta
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
1 large white onion, diced
1 tbsp virgin coconut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tin great northern beans or cannellini beans, drained & rinsed or 1 1/2 cups cooked dried white beans
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
a squeeze of fresh lemon
1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt + more for water
40 fiddleheads, approximately, washed and rubbed
extra virgin olive oil
pinch of crumbly sea salt, like Malden Flakes.
Method
Put two medium pots of water on to boil, both well salted with about a tablespoon of sea salt.
Meanwhile, sauté onion in coconut oil till translucent apron 5-7 mins, adding 2 cloves of minced garlic in the last 2 mins.  Transfer half of this mixture to a blender and pour the remainder into a medium sized mixing bowl and set aside.
Add orzo to boiling water and cook as per directions on pkg (approx 8-10mins) adding frozen peas for the last 2 minutes.
Steam fiddleheads for 10-12 mins until tender. Drain and run cool water over to stop them from cooking any further. Toss fiddleheads in a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
In blender, add beans and almond milk and process til creamy, adding the last minced clove of garlic & lemon squeeze and processing just a few seconds more.
Drain orzo & peas and pour into mixing bowl with onion, then coat with creamy beans.
Serve orzo topped with 4-6 fiddleheads. Garnish with fresh chives or other fresh herbs as you may and a crumble of sea salt.

Enjoy:)

I really felt inclined to post about these wonderful fiddleheads as a celebration of the earth’s natural bounty that we sometimes forget is available to us that is really quite fragile and yet won’t continue to exist if we don’t take care of mother earth.  This weekend Earth Day is the perfect time to do your part to help preserve our planet and at the same time celebrate the beauty we are surrounded by with a wonderful meal that mother earth has to offer us that those before us enjoyed and preserved so that we too could do so.

I hope you have an opportunity to taste these morsels either in a restaurant this spring or by snapping some up at the market and maybe if you are lucky, harvesting your own.

I’m off to shoot more delicious food for the cookbook that is coming right along.  I make a point of doing something for it near every single day so it is a labour of daily love that is slowly emerging.  I’m so enjoying the process, a little in denial that time will run out, but not panicking yet.  I’ll save that for later!

Happy Earth Day to you.  I’d love to hear what you are up to and what you might be cooking if you are celebrating in some way.

Cheers!

Julie

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My goodness, where does the time go?  Have you also found that it’s ticking by too quickly?  I’m glad it flies by quickly in the winter since I’m not fond of the cold so “Yay” I’m Glad it’s spring-my favourite time of year!!  –but I always want time to pass by slowly when I think of my kids since it’s such a short time that they are young, so sweet and adorably innocent.  I want it to last longer so I can really savour it. But with my plate heaping full of ‘to do’s’ I always feel like my days are far too short and time has not allowed me to accomplish enough, especially here on the blog!  Perhaps it’s better time management that I need, a skill that I’m not that clever at.  I always cringe at the thought of a ‘system or a calendar’ since I tend to keep most of my ‘stuff’ in my head, which honestly, can be dangerous some days! However between the cookbook writing and my family duties…I managed to get this post completed for you so here we are, enjoy!

It’s a yummy dish you can make in a jiffy with only a few simple ingredients at most any time of year.  Cabbage is usually available year round so this recipe is one you can always count on being able to whip up.  And it actually tastes just as yummy the next day, which is not always the case with coleslaw.  I used the purple cabbage since it is more alkaline at +6.3 than the white at this time of year which is only 2.0 but still, both are great options.  I combined it with a savoy cabbage which has an alkalinity of 4.5.

Cabbage is such a nutritious veggie chalk full of goodies.  It’s rich in antioxidants to help balance free radicals within the body, and is also an anti-inflammatory food.  The red cabbage is especially high in Vitamin C (a measure of antioxidant capacity) measuring nearly six to eight times higher than that of green cabbage- and it’s way prettier too, right?  The rich purply red color of red cabbage reflects it concentration of anthocyanin polyphenols.  These are partly why red cabbage is so red, containing considerably more protective phytonutrients than green cabbage. Phytonutrients are what protect the cabbage plant from disease, injuries and pests and in turn do so for our bodies when we consume it–they form part of the plants immune system and also help to protect our bodies from disease.

A little bit of red onion is punchy in this salad and the macadamia adds a crunchy creamy element.  I can’t seem to get enough of the dressing of coconut and lime that is deelish on it’s own so be generous or serve extra on the side.  What I love the most about this salad is that it’s not smothered in mayonnaise like most coleslaw.  I’ve never been a mayo fan so I don’t miss the mayo but even if you are a mayo fan perhaps you will be able to open up your taste buds to this new version of a crunchie coleslaw.  It’s far more nutritious and is usually a crowd pleaser- I tested it out on my class mates for a potluck last spring and it was approved!

Coconut, Lime & Red Cabbage Coleslaw w/ Macadamia Nuts
Yield:  6 small servings
2 cups thinly shredded red cabbage
2 cups thinly shredded savoy cabbage
2 tbsp finely diced red onion
2 tbsp lime zest
juice of one lime
1/2 cup coconut milk (not light)
3-4 drops stevia
pinch of himalayan salt
1/2 cup raw macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (optionally you could try cashews too)
Method
In a large bowl combine both cabbages, onion, and lime zest.  Wisk together lime juice, coconut milk, stevia and salt.  Coat cabbage mixture, tossing well, using part or all of the dressing as you may.  Top with chopped macadamia nuts.

Note: cabbage is most ideal if it isn’t really cold otherwise the coconut oils set up.  Any chilled left overs are best if allowed to warm up a wee bit before serving for this same reason.  This is a yummy dish alongside another salad, quiona pilaf or legumes. I enjoy it along side roasted veggies of almost any sort.  You can even tuck this into a wrap and jazz it up as you may.

I’m so excited for all the spring flowers that are poking their heads thru the dried leaves and brightening up our yards.  These crocuses have such happy little blooms with their almost neon centers.

I hope this post finds you well and following a healthy journey that serves your body and soul.  Be good to yourself over Easter, enjoy the festivities but be sure to find ways to balance it all out– drink your water daily, squeeze in those salads and some green juice or a green smoothie for breakky.  You’ll be glad you did.

Happy Spring, so glad you stopped by.

Julie xo

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The prettiness of Valentines and all it’s pinks and ruby reds always inspires me to be creative especially when I have the camera in my hand.  Today I unearthed some of my pretties and had fun playing with them to bring you some inspiration.  And of course there’s a tasty recipe to go with it!  Don’t we all love a wee treat that’s simple to make and pretty healthy yet just a little naughty.

These bite size macaroons are simply divine all on their own especially since they are made with naturally white raw cacao butter.  We can all pretend that cacao is super healthy for us and full of antioxidants, which it does contain, but it also has it’s flip side which is full of caffeine, a chemical.  So it’s hard to say it’s totally healthy but I will say that it isn’t full of additives, preservatives and refined sugar so it’s a whole lot better than most every other chocolate that’s out there.  As for the coconut it’s definitely healthy all the way, yay!  It is rich in plant proteins, is an excellent dietary fiber and is high in manganese.  Coconut is rich in saturated fats which most think is risky for ones health.  However, on the contrary coconut oil is lower in calories than other fats and does not deplete the body’s reserves of antioxidants as some other oils do.  Most oils have been processed allowing the molecules to oxidize and contribute free radicals in the body which then require antioxidants to eliminate them.  A list of valuable benefits from coconut oil is here.  I’ve sweetened with mineral rich maple syrup which is still a sugar (with some mineral benefits at least) and Yes it is acidic but I’ve cut back on the amount by using liquid stevia to bump up the sweet factor for this very special Valentines Day treat!  Sugar is sugar, no matter the source.  No sugar is really healthy at all especially if you are not well so avoid maple syrup altogether if you have serious symptoms, otherwise use it in extreme moderation as a treat and just use stevia to sweeten instead.  You can play with the sweetness as you may like it less so.  In this case cut back on the maple syrup.

It’s fun to make these up and share them so you might like to pick up some cute snack bags to package them in or some cute little cup cake or chocolate liners to pretty them up.  This recipe doubles easily so you can make up a big batch and give some away as prezzies!

They are most firm when chilled but are fine at room temp if you are careful with them.  If you plan to wrap and share them, perhaps add 1/4 cup more cacao butter to make them a tad firmer.  Otherwise keep them in the fridge to avoid too much crumbling, they are deeelish when chilled any ways!

White Chocolate Coconut Macaroon Bites
Yield: Approx 24 mini bites
1 cup cacao butter, grated
1/2 tsp alcohol free pure vanilla
2 tsp coconut oil
3 tbsp maple syrup
6-8 drop stevia
1 1/2 cups dried unsweetened fine shred coconut
Method
Over very, very low heat melt grated cacao butter. Remove from heat as soon as it is melted.  If very hot, allow to cool somewhat.  Then stir in all remaining ingredients one by one until combined.  Spoon approx 1 1/2 tablespoons into mini muffin tins or mini fluted tart tins, press in firmly with end of wooden spoon or finger tips and freeze for 20 mins to set.  Pop out of tin with point of a sharp knife.  Garnish with a berry or just enjoy straight up!  Store in refrigerator, serve cold or at room temperature.

These were a cinch to pat down, then freeze for 20 mins and pop out with the tip of thin knife.

These kind of reminded me of those one bite brownies (the ones that were hard to stop at one bite) but this is the healthy version of something rather addictive.

Well… I hope you have a marvelous Valentine’s Day with the special people in your life.  If nothing else, pamper yourself this weekend with some self love; a warm bath, maybe some gentle yoga stretches, a hot cup of tea and a good magazine.  I recently found this lovely online one that you might enjoy.Now back I go… to my studio, brain storming more recipes and concocting flavours for my alkaline cook book.  Busy busy busy! but fun fun fun!

See you here again soon:)

Julie

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