Fiddleheads, Asparagus, and Shrimp-Oh my!

Last night I cooked fiddleheads for the first time.  They came as part of a locally grown organic basket I have delivered each week.  Never having eaten them before I wasn't really sure the best way to prepare them so in the end I decided on a recipe I took from the Mama Earth Web site:

shrimp and fiddlehead medley

Ingredients:

1 pound fiddleheads

6 ounces linguine, uncooked

6 cups water

1-3/4 pounds  shrimp, fresh or frozen

1 teaspoon margarine

2/3 cup onion, chopped

1/2 cup green pepper, diced

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon celery seed

2 tablespoons lemon juice

Preparation:  Cut off ends of fiddleheads. Remove scales and wash thoroughly. Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan; add shrimp and cook three to five minutes, or until done. Drain well, and set aside. Cook fiddleheads in boiling water for ten minutes. Drain. Coat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray; add margarine. Heat until margarine melts. Add onion and green pepper and sauté until crisp-tender. Stir in fiddleheads. Meanwhile, cook pasta as directed, without salt or oil. Drain well, set aside and keep warm.

Add sliced mushrooms, thyme, pepper, salt and celery seeds to vegetable mixture; stir well. Cook, uncovered, over medium heat three to four minutes or until mushrooms are tender, stirring often. Stir in shrimp and lemon juice; cook until heated through, stirring often.

Place pasta on a large platter. Spoon shrimp mixture on top. Serve immediately. Serves 6.

The recipe was a success I am happy to report, although the vegetable that really stole the show was the asparagus! I did both a green salad and a roasted asparagus side dish to accompany the fiddle head shrimp Medley and boy oh boy was that roasted asparagus delicious!