For growers, cooks and food lovers alike, the month of May heralds that season when fiddlehead ferns fill produce bins, giddy home gardeners pull ruby stalks of rhubarb from the ground, and Yankee farmers unearth spring-dug parsnips that have sweetened in the frozen earth over the winter. And nowhere is spring ushered in more magnificently than at the stovetops of northern New England chefs, innovative magicians who've been stoically (albeit deliciously) making do with cold-storage root vegetables, hot-house lettuces, and apples from New Zealand. Suddenly, there is the promise of grilled shad roe, sweet pan-roasted asparagus and tender baby greens. Now the chefs are not so much magicians as maestros, conducting a wild orchestra of pure spring flavors. Here, they share with us some of their favorite traditions.

fiddleheads

Fiddlehead ferns are the first Northeastern crop to break free of winter's clutch, but predicting exactly when they will hit the market is anyone's guess. Found along riverbanks and in wooded areas throughout Maine and other New England states, they usually start poking their green tips through the freshly thawed ground in the last two weeks of April, but David Guthrie, manager of Golden Harvest, in Kittery, Maine, says he never knows for sure until a week or two prior. Apparently, the folks who forage fiddleheads are as elusive and fleeting as the plants themselves.

"We don't find him, he finds us," Guthrie says of his fiddlehead provider.

Bill Tuttle, owner of Tuttle's Red Barn in Dover, is equally reluctant-or unable-to reveal his source. "If I even mention his first name, I'll have to cut your tongue out," Tuttle declares, then adds, "and I'd have to burn your fingers so you couldn't write." Well, a simple "no" would suffice, but the point is driven home: don't go looking for a fiddlehead guy (or gal). And who can blame them. Fiddleheads are not easy to access in the first place, surfacing covertly along secluded rivers and streams under a covering of last year's leaves. Add to this the fact that there is but a minuscule window of opportunity to harvest the little ferns (they must be cut the minute the coiled tips emerge from the ground), and it's understandable that a wizened forager would protect their bounty. Guthrie is happy to report that he's finally received his much anticipated (and probably untraceable) phone call, and wild Maine fiddleheads will be available at Golden Harvest by the last week of April. Tuttle's fiddlehead source will also be delivering by the last week of April, and Philbrick's Fresh Market in Portsmouth is currently carrying fiddleheads from Massachusetts.

Many chefs have a favorite way to prepare the tightly coiled morsels. Rob Walker, sous chef at The Blue Mermaid in Portsmouth, grew up eating fiddleheads in Northern Maine, and he still loves to see them when they hit the market in late April. Most of Walker's nightly specials at The Blue Mermaid embody the restaurant's emphasis on island ingredients, but he'll occasionally feature fiddleheads as a buttery side dish. His favorite way to serve them at home is in a warm salad with prosciutto, red onion and Asiago (see recipe).

Any recipe will include a couple of preliminary steps, and the first is a good cleaning. As fiddleheads make their way out of the ground, they bring with them a covering of tiny browned leaves from the previous year's growth. Brush these particles off as thoroughly as possible, trim away the browned stem, then plunge the ferns into a bowlful of cold, clean water. Swish them around vigorously and skim the floating brown leaves from the surface. Then do it again. And again. After two or three soakings, they are ready for the stovetop.

The next step for almost any fiddlehead recipe is blanching in boiling water. Bring a pot of water to a boil with a handful of salt, then place the fiddleheads in the boiling water and simmer for 10-15 minutes. For those who've never sampled a fiddlehead, the next step should be to simply toss the fiddleheads in a hot skillet with butter, salt and pepper. Finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and enjoy. The flavor is little bit like asparagus, with earthy, grassy notes.

Blanched fiddleheads can also be pan-roasted in sizzling butter, then hit with a splash of balsamic vinegar or used in a cream soup recipe in the same manner as asparagus or broccoli. A bacony vinaigrette, a sherry-spiked cream sauce or a soy-based Asian sauce are appropriate as well, and fiddleheads are great saut??ed with wild mushrooms, particularly morels. Like asparagus, fiddleheads provide a versatile accompaniment to most fish, shellfish and meat, and are also great tossed with pasta or stirred into a creamy risotto.

warm fiddlehead salad with prosciutto

and Asiago

shared by Rob Walker of The Blue Mermaid

(6 servings)

8 slices prosciutto, cut into thick strips

2 Tbsp. olive oil

4 cups fiddleheads, blanched and cooled

4 Tbsp. diced red onion

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp. Asiago cheese

salt and pepper, to taste

In a skillet, fry the prosciutto over medium-high heat until crisp. Drain away all but one tablespoon of fat. Keep the prosciutto and one tablespoon of fat in the pan and add the olive oil, fiddleheads and red onion. Cook five minutes longer over medium heat, tossing and stirring occasionally until the fiddleheads and red onion are heated through. Season with salt and pepper.

Transfer to a serving platter or to individual serving plates. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with Asiago cheese. Serve immediately.

rhubarb

Rhubarb is familiar to most New Englanders; many have it planted in their backyard gardens (most have inherited it with the house). Almost as soon as the snow melts, rhubarb will appear in the form of a lush, kale-like bush. A few warm and sunny days later, it rockets full throttle into long, pinkish-red stalks, and the leaves (which are toxic) expand to the size of collard greens. Rhubarb is very tart and astringent in its raw state. Some folks will dip the raw stalks into sugar and chomp away, but most preparations involve cooking, often with a quantity of sugar. Rhubarb is so closely associated with pies and other desserts (see recipe) that it is sometimes referred to as the "pie plant," but a newer trend is to incorporate it into savory dishes.

Paul Arias, executive chef at Pesce Blue in Portsmouth, is a recent California transplant. After trudging through snowstorms and surviving with nary a fresh tomato on his menu since October, he already appreciates the nature of our New England growing cycle-so much so that he's dedicating a weekly tasting menu to springtime ingredients. Each menu will highlight a single ingredient incorporated into an appetizer, an entr??e and a dessert. Rhubarb was the first featured ingredient, and Arias used it to created such unlikely dishes as poached rhubarb wrapped in prosciutto with aged balsamic, a crostini of pickled rhubarb and chicken liver p?ót??, a rhubarb ravioli with house made rosemary ricotta, and braised halibut cheeks with rhubarb. Evan Mallet, executive chef of Lindbergh's Crossing in Portsmouth, is also running a savory rhubarb dish, in the form of a tomato-rhubarb soup (see recipe).

If you don't have rhubarb in your own back yard, you can soon get the local stuff at area produce stores (out-of-state rhubarb has been available for some weeks now). Tuttle's harvests their own on the Dover farm, and Golden Harvest will soon stock rhubarb that is grown by a local woman who brings in up to 20 pounds a day. Jeff Cantera of the Seacoast Growers' Association says there will be plenty of local rhubarb for sale at the Portsmouth Farmers' Market, which begins May 7.

rhubarb upside down cake

(8 servings)

for the fruit topping:

4 Tbsp. butter, plus extra to grease pan

3/4 cup light brown sugar

2 cups rhubarb, sliced

for the cake:

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. allspice

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup butter, softened (room temperature)

1 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

2/3 cup buttermilk or milk

prepare the fruit topping: Generously butter an 8-inch cake pan (must be 2 inches deep). In a skillet, melt the butter. Stir in the brown sugar and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer the mixture over very low heat for about 6 minutes. Pour into the prepared pan. Place the rhubarb in the pan over the caramel. Set aside.

prepare the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and spices. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, about 6 minutes on medium speed (if mixing by hand with a wooden spoon, it will take 10-15 minutes and it will be very important to have the butter at room temperature).

Add the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla, scraping the sides of the bowl frequently.

Add the dry ingredients and the milk to the creamed mixture and mix for about 15 seconds. Scrape the sides of the bowl, then mix for another 15 seconds. Pour over the rhubarb in the prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool 5 minutes, then invert onto a serving platter. Serve with vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream.

tomato-rhubarb soup

shared by Evan Mallet of Lindbergh's Crossing

(4 servings)

4 plum tomatoes, halved, seeds squeezed out

4 Tbsp. olive oil (divided equally), plus extra to grease cookie sheet

4 stalks rhubarb, sliced 1/2 inch thick

2 red onions, sliced

6 cloves garlic, whole

1 carrot, peeled and chopped

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 Tbsp. minced fresh ginger

1/2 cup sherry

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup canned diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

minced fresh dill, for garnish

croutons, for garnish (Mallet recommends Gorgonzola croutons)

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Spread the plum tomatoes onto the cookie sheet and roast the tomatoes for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until slightly dehydrated. Set aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a stockpot. Add the rhubarb, onions, garlic, carrot and celery and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, until the rhubarb disintegrates.

Add the minced ginger and the sherry and cook over medium heat until the sherry is cooked off.

Add remaining ingredients except dill and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1/2 hour.

Puree the mixture and return to the stockpot. Bring back to a simmer, adjust the seasonings and serve hot with garnish of minced dill and croutons.

spring-dug parsnips

Spring-dug parsnips are unique among the spring crops in that they're really a fall crop, but the edible portion has been left in the ground intentionally over the winter. Bill Tuttle stopped harvesting spring dugs a few years back because "it's cold, wet, nasty work," but he brings them in from Manheim Farm, in Whately, Mass. Manheim Farm is one of the last farms still harvesting spring-dugs these days. Apparently many farmers cannot afford to devote much acreage to a crop with such an extensive field time (up to 18 months).

Penny Manheim, of Manheim Farm, says that spring-dugs are definitely a gamble. "We try to overwinter as many as we can," she says, but sometimes there is such demand over the holidays that there just aren't any left to keep underground. And the ones that do overwinter don't always make it. "You need a good snow cover or the ground will freeze too deep, and if the ground is too wet in the spring, then you can't get in there, and they'll rot," says Manheim.

Martha Putnam, operations director for Farm Fresh Connection, a program of the Maine Sustainable Agriculture Society, says that there are still spring-dugs being harvested in northern Maine (Putnam refrained from naming a specific farm because, she says, most growers prefer to stay out of the public eye), but agrees that spring-dugs are not a product much on growers' minds these days. John Naylor, owner of Rosemont Market in Portland, Maine, was able to bring in about 150 pounds of Maine spring-dugs (he, too, refrained from naming a specific farm) but sold every last pound within one week. At the moment, Tuttle's seems to be the only local store that is carrying bonafide spring-dugs.

They're worth seeking out where you can. As the fully-grown parsnips lay in the frigid ground, their starches convert to sugar, and the result is an unimaginably sweet root vegetable, with hints of spice and herb. One of the most delectable ways to enjoy spring-dugs is mashed with butter, salt and pepper. They're also wonderful saut??ed or roasted in butter or olive oil, or with a little maple syrup (yet another spring crop). For mashed parsnips, just peel them like a carrot, chop them up, and boil them until fork-tender. Drain them, add a few pats of whole butter and a sprinkling of salt and pepper, and mash like a potato.

asparagus

It's hard to believe that asparagus is a spring crop, since it's available year round in grocery stores, but the seasonal New England version is worth waiting for. In the 1922 edition of The Boston Cooking-School Cookbook, Fannie Merritt Farmer writes, "hothouse asparagus is found in market during the winter, but is not very satisfactory." She also makes reference to the extravagance of the off-season price, and both sentiments remain true today. The price can triple or quadruple in the off-season, and the flavor seems to decline reciprocal to the price.

Evan Hennessey, executive chef at 43 Degrees North in Portsmouth, agrees that asparagus is overexposed and underrated, thanks to its year-round availability. To complement the sweetness and flavor of truly seasonal asparagus, Hennessey says to treat it simply. Asparagus can be steamed, pan roasted, pureed into soups and sauces, or marinated in a light vinaigrette. Asparagus works well in Asian preparations, and raw asparagus tips can be minced and sprinkled over a salad for an interesting crunch.

Sweet, local asparagus will be available at the Portsmouth Farmers' Market, and Bill Tuttle will carry asparagus grown by his brother, Dave Tuttle, in North Berwick, Maine.

ramps

The spring crop that Evan Hennessey gets most excited about is ramps, or wild leeks. Like fiddleheads, ramps are foraged in wooded areas along the Eastern Seaboard. Local harvests are not as plentiful as fiddleheads, so most local suppliers get them air-shipped from a little further south, anywhere from New Jersey to Virginia. Ramps come in the form of long, slender stalks that resemble wide blades of grass, about 5 or 6 inches in length and half an inch wide. With a notoriously pungent, garlicky aroma and flavor that sweetens considerably when cooked, ramps are wonderful saut??ed in butter, olive oil, bacon fat or sesame oil. Hennessey likes to blanch ramps for about 20 seconds before he saut??s them.

Alec Maxon, pastry chef at Victory 96 in Portsmouth, is a part-time mushroom forager who has also foraged ramps in very small quantities near his home in Gloucester, Mass. (and in greater quantities in the Berkshires). He understands why foragers are so secretive, but says that most folks, even if they did discover a secret bounty, wouldn't have the fortitude to forage in any quantity because "it's extremely hard work." Like Hennessey, Maxon says a quick toss in a hot pan with some butter or bacon fat is the ideal preparation. He also pur??es them into a compound butter, which he keeps frozen throughout the year to melt over seared fish or grilled meats. "It's a great way to take a product that is only available for a short time," says Maxon, "and extend it almost indefinitely."

Golden Harvest has been carrying air-shipped ramps from Virginia, but overall, ramps are very difficult to find in the markets. Ramps can be purchased online from Earthy Delights (www.earthy.com or 800-367-4709).

shad roe

Just when the spring crops are emerging from their winter naps, shad from the southern Atlantic coast will begin their migration north, heading inland and upriver to lay their eggs. These roe-laden fish have been highly prized in New England since the late 1800s, with many vintage cookbooks from that era making reference to the roe (the fish itself is delicious, but has never been widely popular because it's full of difficult-to-remove bones).

To be sure, shad roe does not have the poetic appearance of a coiled fern tip; it comes in the form of two fist-sized sacs covered in a thin, grayish membrane that holds the tiny eggs inside. Fortunately, it improves dramatically when cooked, and anyone who has tasted rich, nutty roe fresh from a sizzling fry pan understands why aficionados still consider it a delicacy.

Shad roe must be cooked gently so as not to burst the outer membrane, and many chefs treat it to a preliminary poaching before dredging it in seasoned flour and pan-frying it. If frying shad roe from the raw stage, keep the heat low and the pan covered, and use plenty of fat. Hennessey gives shad roe a gentle turn on the grill, then serves them over wilted ramps with applewood smoked bacon and brown butter (see recipe).

Maine and New Hampshire rivers have unfortunately not had shad runs for decades, due to the building of dams, but shad roe is still considered a New England specialty by tradition. Most of what is being brought to market comes from the Hudson River. Earl Sanders, of Olde Mill Fish Market in Portsmouth, has not seen much shad roe this year (they have been carrying haddock roe, which is similar and quite delicious) and Colleen Hebert of Seaport Fish in Rye, has only been able to carry it once or twice this season. Sue's Seafood in Kittery, Maine, can special order it with three or four days notice.

grilled shad roe with bacon, ramps and brown butter

shared by Evan Hennessey of 43 Degrees North

(4 servings)

16 ramps, washed, stems trimmed

1 whole shad roe (2 lobes)

4 oz. bacon, 1/4-inch dice (Hennessey recommends applewood-smoked bacon)

2 shallots, minced (divided equally)

3 Tbsp. whole butter (divided: 1 Tbsp. and 2 Tbsp.)

2 tsp. vegetable oil, plus extra to brush shad roe

1 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

1/2 Tbsp. minced parsley

salt and pepper, to taste

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch ramps for just 20 seconds, then remove immediately to an ice bath to chill. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

In a skillet over low heat, cook bacon until it is just cooked through but not crisped or brown. Remove to a paper towel to drain.

Cut shad roe into 4 pieces. Brush with oil and place gently on a heated grill. Grill for about 3 minutes on each side until medium-rare (the eggs will be lightly pink on the inside, opaque white on the outside). Remove to a plate and cover to keep warm while the ramps and the brown butter are prepared.

In the skillet that the bacon was cooked in, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 2 teaspoons vegetable oil. Add half the shallots and cook over medium heat until the shallots are translucent but not browned. Add the bacon and the ramps and cook over medium heat until the mixture is hot but not browned. Add the thyme leaves, salt and pepper. Portion the ramp mixture in the center of a platter, or onto 4 individual serving plates.

Slice each piece of shad roe into 4 slices and portion over the ramps.

Return the skillet to the flame. Add 2 tablespoons butter and remaining shallots and cook over medium heat until the shallots are translucent. Increase heat to medium-high cook until the butter bubbles, then begins to brown. When the butter is a deep golden brown, swirl in the lemon juice. Remove from the heat and swirl in the minced parsley. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the shad roe. Serve immediately.

more sources

Over the next several weeks, as more and more local crops are brought in from the fields (and rivers and woods) many Seacoast restaurants will be offering spring tasting menus, and growers will be converging upon farmers' markets with baskets full of truly local crops. Other springtime delicacies to look forward to include spring onions, English peas, dandelion greens, baby field greens and wild sorrel. To see a timetable of availability for fruits and vegetables, or to learn more about local farms, visit www.seacoastgrowers.org. Click on the "Seasonal Timetable" link to see what will be growing when and for how long, or click on any of six links to area farmers' markets.

spring dinners

Pesce Blue in Portsmouth offers a three-course spring tasting menu featuring a single ingredient incorporated into an appetizer, an entr??e and a dessert, Monday through Thursday throughout the spring (will also be running summer tasting menus), $29, 603-430-7766.

Isis, which offers a fresh menu weekly, this summer will feature produce grown especially for the restaurant on a farm in Lee, dinner Thursday through Saturday, entrees $17-$27, 603-431-1178.

Three Chimneys Inn in Durham offers a Grower's Dinner Series with seasonally produced food offered in a four-course dinner at the Inn on Fridays, $55, 603-868-7800