Foraging Plenty, The Magic Hour
In the early morning magic hour when the sky is watercolor pink, I pull on my muck boots, gather my snips, a basket plus a few jars and head off to hunt for violets in the wild. Common blue violet (Vi...
In New England it isn’t necessarily sunshine or a sudden spike in temperature that marks the return of spring, but rather the sound of birds and the thaw followed by a general greening that signals the true change of seasons. In April and May, once I start seeing rhubarb on my foraging walks, I know it’s time to make my favorite rhubarb cordial (see recipe). Tart, astringent and sweet, rhubarb cordial is a delicious addition to a glass of bubbles, a Sour with fresh citrus, or even drizzled over vanilla ice cream.
To clarify, when I say “foraging” rhubarb, the plant isn’t wild so much as having jumped ship from last year’s garden or a long-forgotten garden plot. Whenever I find a proper patch, I pull a few pinkish-green stalks for a rhubarb cordial. I’ll need about eight to 12 rhubarb ribs for the recipe, so if I can’t find enough, I’ll make up the difference with a quick visit to the farmers market or grocery store. Always remember to remove all rhubarb leaves from the stalk as rhubarb leaves are actually toxic.
Once I spot rhubarb, I also know to keep my eyes peeled for Ostrich fiddlehead ferns, another spring delicacy here in New England. Ostrich ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) are one of a few fern varieties that are edible cooked or pickled as new tightly spiraled fronds (fiddleheads). They are toxic as mature “plumes”’ and should not be eaten past the tightly coiled fiddlehead stage. Pickled fiddleheads are delicious sautéed or used as a garnish alternative to an olive or cocktail onion in a drink. The Lady of the Lake cocktail is a bright and bubbly cocktail that holds its own during cocktail hour, exuding plenty of charm with an array of wild garnish of the season. Feel free to add violets, chive blossoms or pickled fiddleheads (see recipe) to your glass. Even a fresh dandelion blossom will do the trick!
A note about foraging: Please use caution when foraging and IDing wild plants. Never harvest plants that have been sprayed with pesticides and always seek permission before foraging on public or private property.
Ingredients
- 2 ounces reposado tequila
- 1 ounce Rhubarb Cordial*
- 1 ounce lime juice
- Top with soda water
- Garnish with pickled fiddleheads**, lemon, chive blossom, violets and angelica leaves.
*Rhubarb Cordial
- 2 pounds rhubarb, rinsed and sliced into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup organic sugar
- 1 liter organic vodka
**Pickled Fiddleheads
- ½ pound ostrich fern fiddleheads
- 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon whole allspice
- ¼ teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
Instructions
Tart rhubarb and earthy aged tequila pair nicely with the salty and savory snap of pickled fiddleheads in this spring sipper. Fiddleheads often show up on the produce aisle in spring if you can’t forage them out in the field.
Combine tequila, Rhubarb Cordial and lime juice in a bar shaker and add ice. Shake vigorously for 10 seconds, strain into a Collins glass with fresh ice, top with soda water and add garnish. Makes 1 cocktail.
*Rhubarb Cordial
Place rhubarb into a large, clean 64-ounce jar (or split between 2 large jars), add sugar and vodka, stir ingredients, cover with a tight lid and let rest 1 month at room temperature. Shake jar every few days to dissolve the sugar. After 1 month, strain, discard rhubarb and funnel cordial into a clean jar. Use within 1 year. Yield: 1 liter.
**Pickled Fiddleheads
Place fiddlehead ferns in a large bowl with cold water; rinse repeatedly until water runs clear. Drain, trim ends and scrub away any brown bits. Bring 4 cups water and 1 tablespoon salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add fiddleheads, cook 7 minutes, drain and rinse in cold water. Combine vinegar, ½ cup water, 1 tablespoon salt, spices and garlic cloves in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let rest 1 minute. Pack cooked fiddleheads into a clean glass jar and cover with hot pickling liquid. Wipe rim of jar and apply lid. Refrigerate pickles 2 to 3 days and consume within 1 month.
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