Spring is a time for renewal, fresh air and growth. Watching the trees bloom and tulips blossom stirs excitement in people after a dormant winter. For some, spring also opens the doors to fiddlehead season. These tightly coiled baby ferns are the first wild food of the season available for harvesting, and they make a lovely addition to any spring meal.

Fiddleheads grow throughout the United States and Canada, but also in other parts of the world, particularly Asia and New Zealand. Although these fabulous little greens come from a variety of fern types, North Americans are best to stick to ostrich ferns for their fiddleheads. Some ferns are actually unhealthy to ingest; others are downright toxic. So it’s highly recommended that you know what kind of ferns you have in your area before you go hunting these tasty green shoots in spring.

When picking fiddleheads, go to an ostrich fern patch and look for tightly wrapped, bright green little heads. As the name suggests, they resemble the head of a fiddle-a stem leading up to the coiled baby fern. They’ll be poking out of the ground where last year’s ferns have keeled over. If they have unfurled to the point you can see the fern opening up in all its glory, then leave it be; it’s no longer an edible fiddlehead.

After gathering several handfuls of fiddleheads, rinse them well and be sure to remove the thin brown skin on them. They have a flavor similar to that of a blend of spinach and asparagus. They are versatile-you can toss them into a stir-fry, steam or boil them, or sauté them with some olive oil and garlic. If you are lucky enough to be overrun with fiddleheads, you can blanch and freeze them for later.

The ideal way to usher in the spring is to hike out to your local fern patch and search through last year’s fallen leaves for those tender little fiddleheads. Then fire up the barbeque and serve a side of the first fresh harvest of the season.