Fiddlehead Soup

I grew up in Tide Head, New Brunswick - the self-proclaimed fiddle head capital of the world. The bag of fiddle heads in this week's share brings me on a trip down memory lane. As a child growing up in Northern New Brunswick, a visit to our secret picking spot was always part of the spring ritual. I love mine boiled with a dab of butter. Hubby isn't quite so fond of these greens. This soup recipe from my mom is a great alternative. You can adjust the recipe depending on the amount of fiddleheads you have on hand. I think we posted this last year, but I thought it couldn't hurt to post again (:

4 cups fiddleheads
2 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped - about 1 cup
salt and pepper
1 tablespoon flour
3 or 4 cups chicken broth
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 cup light cream or milk (I usually just use chicken broth and no milk)

Cook fiddleheads in boiling salted water until just tender, then drain and reserve

Melt the butter in the pot you are making the soup in
Saute the onions until softened
Sprinkle flour in pan, mix in and cook for 1 minute
Gradually stir in the chicken stock and bring to a boil
Add diced potato, reduce heat and cook covered for 5 minutes or till softened
Add the fiddleheads and continue to simmer until the vegetables are soft.

Working in batches in a blender, pure the mixture
Return to pot and add milk if desired.

Note: To add a decorative touch, save a few whole fiddleheads for a garnish. Put a little swirl of cream or plain yogurt on top of the individual bowl of soup and place a fiddlehead on top of the swirl.