Fiddleheads!

Friends and fiddleheads, local asparagus and lotsa laughs, peas and the perfect pizza - that's what I call a great thing to blog about!  A spring green special fit for a queen!  Okay, enough with the wordplay.  (Ever tried haiku?  None of this was, but I'm about to explore it as a form of meditative writing.)

First things first: grill your asparagus (toss the spears in olive oil, s&p, and cook carefully--maintain crunch), sauté your fiddleheads (olive oil over a hot pan with a hint of butter and fresh minced garlic--again, maintain crunch), and blanch your peas if  using fresh (I only had frozen on hand, and simply let them thaw at room temp).  Season each veggie independently with kosher salt and ground pepper.

BTW, if you've never had fresh cut asparagus, you must seek some out. Fresh cut asparagus has an entirely different flavor than that rubbery monocrop-style stuff from Peru or California. It's more intense in its compounds (and yes, in your pee!)--earthy, buttery and meaty, rich in numerous vitamins, and really snappy at the base of the stalk.

Grate your cheeses.  I used O.V.'s mozzarella, some freshly rasped parmesan, and a bit of locally produced cheddar.  Next,

Stretch your pizza dough out to whatever shape moves you.  Use a lightweight prep board and a small swirl of olive oil to lubricate both the board and the dough.  I chose a triangle shape for this baby - it just seemed to work with the lines of the asparagus spears.    The curls of the fiddleheads also work well with this shape.

Fiddleheads, btw, are a wonderful forage plant.  The tight spirals are the new shoots of the Ostrich fern, a lowland plant found throughout much of the east-northeast.  They are now commercially harvested, but at least this equates to preservation of the wetland-lowland areas they are common to.  Look for those that are still tight with woodland green color.  Trim the ends ever so slightly, soak in a bowl of fresh water for a few minutes, and lift out and drain.  Dry over a linen towel, then proceed with sauteeing.

I grill my pizza, and have for more than 15 years.  The best method is to grill one side of your dough until lightly colored, then flip and cook until the second side is nicely darkened with grill lines.  Flip back to the first side, add some cheese and your toppings, turn off the heat, close the lid and let sit for 5-10 minutes (perfect amount of time to go back and socialize with your friends before serving!).

Give a light sprinkle of your favorite salt, and slice into strips.  Serve away!