The Fiddlehead Fern is the unfurled fronds of a young fern. There are several varieties that are harvested for consumption, but only for a very short period of time. They’ve been available for a few weeks now, but this is the first time I’ve been able to get them! They taste like a combination of asparagus, broccoli and have more antioxidants than blueberries! Wikipedia offers a great description.
They key to cooking these is to clean them, cut the brown tips off, boil them for 5 minutes, chill in ice water, then sauté with butter (some add a dash of choice vinegar) for a few minutes and serve.