Hopewell Cape Fiddlehead and Scallop Salad With Cranberry Dressing

Note from Cheri: I first had fiddehead ferns as a teenager in Mississippi. I loved their crunchy texture and subtle, almost nutty, flavor. Alas, fiddleheads are very hard to come by. They have an extremely short growing season and many people have never even heard of this delicious vegetable. Well, in 1997, I was lucky enough to take a trip to New Brunswick, Canada. I was in fiddlehead heaven! True, they still have a short growing season, but the chefs in New Brunswick plan ahead and freeze some. Chef Denis Bettinger of the Hotel Beausejour in Moncton, shared this recipe which makes delicious use of the cute little green ferns. Follow this link to learn more about New Brunswick, maritime cuisine, and lots more recipes!

4 cups baby greens or mesclun 1 1/4 pound fiddleheads 24 large scallops 1 T finely chopped green onions 1 tsp. grated ginger 1/4 cup white wine juice of 3 oranges pinch of orange zest pinch of lemon or lime juice pinch of corn starch Cranberry Dressing 1 cup fresh cranberries 2 T sugar 1/3 cup red wine vinegar 1 1/2 cup olive oil fresh herbs (such as basil, thyme, parsley, tarragon) to taste salt and pepper to taste

Serves 4 For Dressing Cook cranberries in a small amount of water until tender. Add sugar, herbs, oil and vinegar. Pureé in a blender or food processor, adding water as necessary to get the desired consistency For Salad Cut scallops in half, set aside. Sauté onions, ginger and orange zest for 3-5 minutes or until onions are tender. Deglaze the pan with white wine. Add orange, lemon and lime juice. Bring to a boil and add scallops. Let stand for one minute. Remove scallops. Thicken sauce with a pinch of corn starch. To Serve Arrange fiddleheads over salad greens, spoon on scallops and sauce. Garnish with cranberry dressing.