Sweet Potato with Fiddlehead Fern

JunqueGirl--"I made a really nice meal last night with one of the choicest and rarest of spring vegetables – the fiddlehead fern. The still-curled fronds of the ostrich fern only make an appearance at the farmer’s market for two weeks all year, so we grab ‘em up when they show. Could be made with green beans or asparagus.

I cubed a sweet potato and tossed with some olive oil, salt and pepper and put it in the oven to roast, and rinsed a can of pinto beans and left ‘em in the colander to drain. A big handful of fiddleheads got steamed to kill any unknowns (they’re foraged, so who knows?) and then sautéed in a mixture of olive oil and butter with some diced red onion to get them nice and browned. When they looked close to being done, I added the beans and let them warm up. Then I turned off the heat, tossed in the roasted sweet potato and dressed the whole thing in a honey, lime and chili powder vinaigrette I made. It was really tasty – the luscious green fiddleheads, hearty and nutty beans, the sweetness of the yam and the really bright, tangy vinaigrette… yum."

Rotelle With Asparagus and Mushroom Sauce

Yield: 4 servings

8 oz Fresh mushrooms, trimmed, halved, if large, and sliced
2 tsp Olive oil
2 Garlic cloves, crushed
12 oz Fresh asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1/2 " diagonals
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs Fresh lemon juice
8 oz Rotelle pasta
2 Tbs Minced red bell pepper
Soy Parmesan cheese optional

Combine the mushrooms, oil, and garlic in a medium skillet. Cook, covered, over low heat until the mushrooms exude their juices, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the asparagus; cook, covered, 3 minutes. Uncover and cook over medium-high heat, stirring until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 3 minutes. Add salt, pepper, and lemon juice.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in plenty of boiling, salted water until al dente, about 10 minutes; spoon out 1/2 cup of the pasta cooking liquid and add to the mushroom mixture and the red pepper. Serve with a sprinkle of Soy Parmesan if desired.j

Source: veganconnection.com