Spring has been a long time coming this year. We’ve had lots of rain, few blue-sky days, cold temperatures, and slow to blossom fruit trees. The latter is probably a good thing since there was a frost in some areas last week. Frost during blossom time is not a good thing! But the steady drizzle for the past few days has coaxed the new baby leaves on the trees, and the spring bulbs and perennials are flourishing. The weather is finally turning, and here we are in May. Luscious green May!
Here come the weeds too!
The weeds are flourishing too. It doesn’t take them long to make their appearance, but there’s just not enough of them that are edible.
No-Mow May
We’ve not been able to cut the grass there’s been so many rainy days, but that’s all for the best as we like to support “No-Mow May,” a time of not mowing lawns so that the pollinators will have plenty on which to feast. I’m all for that! We have a very long driveway the sides of which are populated with a wave after wave of various wildflowers, beginning at present with the dandelions. Although not the prime nectar for honeybees, they fill in the gaps, and I believe they are stunning to behold.
Happy hunter gathering
I found my first radishes of the year this week at the farm stand, and fiddlehead ferns at another. Fiddleheads are a spring ritual for sure, the tiny unfolding foliage of the ostrich fern, these wild spring delicacies rival asparagus in taste, but remain the clear winner in the tedious-to-prepare category. But they are worth every bit of work.
The hardy and the new
I also have overwintered lettuce, chervil, and a bit of parsley, as well as our garden chives and some dandelion greens, actually a field of them, but I only chose the smallest and most tender. Ah, there will be a salad tonight! Nothing tastes better than those first greens that grew outside and not under glass. Simple, but nothing compares. I’m delighted that local chefs are getting this message as well. We had dinner the other night at a lovely fine dining restaurant and one of the specials was a crudité plate that featured a simple presentation of new, local radishes with their delightful greens, served with house-made crème fraîche and mint oil. We cleaned the plate of every bit.
A hint of lemon
I kept the dressing light and easy for my salad, a simple mix of lemon juice and zest mixed loosely with olive oil and finely minced chives. This enhanced the greens, but didn’t overpower them. You could also use finely chopped mint here.
First cook-out!
We had our first cook-out with my grandson in charge of the grill. No better way to celebrate spring than with something on the barbeque and a beautiful salad on the side. If you can’t find fiddleheads, substitute asparagus, and use whatever tender new greens you can find. Toss in some herbs from the garden, use something you love, and you are all set. If you can add a bit of sunshine and a few flowers, all the better.
Spring Salad with Fiddleheads (or Asparagus) and Radishes
- A big handful of lettuce, torn
- A few baby dandelion greens
- Some chervil or parsley
- 1 bunch of radishes, tops and all
- 1 cup or so of prepared fiddleheads* or chopped, cooked asparagus, or both
Dressing:
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- Zest of a lemon
- 4 tbsp. fruity olive oil
- 1 tbsp. mince chives
- Edible flowers to garnish
Toss the lettuce, greens, and herbs together on a platter. You can either separate the radishes from their tops and mix the greens in with the rest, or simply arrange the whole radishes as you like. Sprinkle over the fiddleheads or asparagus.
Mix the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, and drizzle what you like over the top. Adorn with a few edible spring flowers such as pansies!
*To prepare fiddleheads: You will need to soak them and rinse the water several times. Sometimes you can find them already cleaned at the farm stand. Then bring a large pot of water to boil and blanch the fiddleheads, bringing back to a boil and leaving it there for a good minute or two. The water will look like dark tea. Immediately rinse with cold water to stop the cooking. Did I say the prep for this was tedious? Now, these are ready to quickly sauté with a little olive oil, garlic, and maybe a shallot. Full instructions here: Preparing Fiddleheads.
Copyright 2025– or current year, The New Vintage Kitchen. Dorothy Grover-Read. Unattributed use of this material and photographs is strictly prohibited. Reposting and links may be used, provided that credit is given to The New Vintage Kitchen, with active link and direction to this original post.
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Thank you, Dorothy, it all looks wonderful!
Joanna
Thanks Joanna! Love it all this time of year!
I had a feeling it was time for fiddleheads! I doubt I’ll ever see them at my farmers’ market in NC, but I already know what they taste like, thanks to you! I’m glad the frost snaps didn’t cause too much trouble up your way. Beautiful salad!
Thanks darlin’! Love fiddlehead season, and we had ramps last night! I feel restored after a long winter!
Beautiful salad, and I must say your lane looks lovely with all those. yellow blooms! They have popped up in the ditch down on the road–yellow blooms, but not sure what they are.
Thank you!
The dandelions are the first wave of blossoms- more to come!
Can’t get fiddleheads, Dorothy, in my little part of the world. But asparagus and radish can – and love! Your salad looks delightful.
Thank you my friend! Asparagus would be lovely! Ours is finally coming in!
When they appear in the stores here, I’ve used fiddleheads in frittatas.
Perfect! It’s a great way to stretch these delights!
Hooray for May!
Yes!!!!
Finally.
That spring salad is a beauty! Also, really like the grassy area on each side of the road. Must be so lovely to have a succession of wilf flowers.
I love them all Laurie! Makes the heart happy!
46℉, rain and wind here today. Cold, but everything sure is green. 🙂 Salad looks delicious, and you have a lovely swath of yellow flowers that I’m sure the pollinators are appreciating. Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mothers Day to you too! And thank you. Love salads of all sorts.
48 degrees here, raining still, everything vibrant green!
Definitely don’t mow the drive!! It all looks lovely. My lawn just gets covered in daises and along comes the darn mower – all gone.
Never eaten fiddleheads although I imagine they are around somewhere but I would most certainly give them a munch. They look meaty to eat.
Lucky you, while you go into spring/summer I’m heading for winter. Shouldn’t complain really, it’s not so bad here. :))
Mary 😊
My two favorite seasons- spring and fall! So much to love about them both!
I won’t let my husband mow those beautiful dandelions!
Such a colorful and delightful salad! We’ve had quite a bit of rain over the past week, hoping our landscape will brighten up with spring flowers too.
Thanks Jan! I love it when salad season comes into being for real!
…still raining…
A delightful weekend ‘stroll’ enjoying your spring as our mornings are trying to tell us winter is coming! Love the look of the ‘happy’ salad but have to look up whether there are any fiddleheads grown and used on this continent at all – have never seen any . . . and we have about four months to wait for our spring asparagus . . . Love the idea of ‘no-mow-May’!!!
The bees sure love No Mow May!
Glad you enjoyed our spring stroll! You have to be quick, it’s raining again!
Beautiful beautiful salad! I will have to use asparagus, as I do not live in beautiful Vermont! (Or the Pacific Northwest….)
Asparagus will do nicely!
When I ate with my grandparents dandelion greens were always in the salad! Your salad looks delicious.
Thank you! Dandelions carry lots of memories, from grandmother’s greens, to a child’s special bouquet!
I have never had fiddleheads. I would. I would love to try your salad with those fiddleheads. Mmm, mmmm, good!
Beautiful presentation! Happy Mother’s Day!💐
Thank you Nancy! If you get the chance, give them a try! They are a fleeting thing!
Here’s to glorious spring! Wishing you a Happy Mother’s Day, my dear D!
Happy Mothers Day to you too!
💕🌷
This is so beautiful and creative! Inspiring
Oh thank you! It’s such an inspiring time of year.
I haven’t seen fiddleheads here sadly yours look delicious Dorothy as does the salad 🙂 x
Thank you Carol! They are a fleeting thing!
Such a beautiful salad. Spring on a plate!
The fiddleheads we have here are not the freshest, so thanks for suggesting asparagus instead. 🙂
Most folks won’t be able to find fiddleheads, so asparagus works nicely. Ours has finally come in, spring being so finicky this year!
Hi, Dorothy – Mouth watering food pics and descriptions as usual! <3 I've heard mixed opinions about No Mow May, with some experts arguing the many downsides. Never knowing what to believe these days, we have reduced our mowing frequency, raised mowing height, and planting native plants. Here's one look at the pros and cons of NMM, but therre are many others. https://www.iamgreenwise.com/no-mow-may/
Thanks for the link to the article! Everything has its pros and cons, and every year is different. This year, we’ve had so much rain, our grass is growing much faster than other years, so we’ll have to do something before the end of the month or the ticks will be even happier. We live in the country and I don’t have a manicured lawn, just lots of fields, and a fenced-in back yard where my dogs can run free. That will be mowed, but we let all those beautiful dadelions stay as long as they want!
Your salad is beautiful and special, Dorothy. I’ve never tried fiddleheads. I’ll look for them at the market.
Happy foraging my friend!
Guess I have to stick to asparagus as we don’t have fiddleheads here. I have never heard of no mow May, what a great idea. If more people were like you, our world would be a much better place. Thank you!
What a lovely thing to say Diane! Thank you! You made my day.
Delicious spring salad 😋 well shared 💐
Thank you Priti! I crave these dishes right about now!
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What a pretty salad! It just looks like spring! 🙂
Oh, it tasted like it too!
Your property looks ideal, Dorothy. No wonder you like living there.
Thank you! We’re pretty much in the middle of hay and corn fields, with some forest at the edges. Lots of wildflowers.
I used to be a Midwest boy. living in both of the Dakotas. Our son is living just outside of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Our daughter-in-law’s stepdad is a corn breeder, so corn is one of his favorite subjects to discuss.
The corn in our field is fodder for livestock; I’d rather grow corn to feed people!