In addition to the sauteed fiddlehead ferns and the fiddlehead fern omelet, I raided my hosts pantry to complete our vegetarian brunch with roasted red carrots, a preserved lemon and maple syrup salad dressing, and basil lemonade made from the herbs in my host’s window.
Preserved lemon is an amazing middle eastern ingredient that adds a unique punch of flavor everywhere it’s used. You can find them in the Moroccan section of most Middle Eastern grocers.
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Roasted Red Carrots with Preserved Lemon
- 1 lb red carrots
- Rind of 2 preserved lemons
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- ½ tsp fresh ground black pepper
Carrots with preserved Lemon Directions
- Start by scooping the interior from your preserved lemon. The meat and pith should come out in a single gloopy mass.
- Thoroughly rinse the rinds in cold water to get rid of the salt and slime, then slice them thin and mince them.
- Mix the lemons, minced garlic, maple syrup, olive oil, cumin, red pepper flakes, and black pepper.
- Peel the carrots and cut them into
2 inch chunks. Toss them in the bowl with your preserved lemon sauce and mix until everything is well coated. - Line a baking dish with foil (for easy cleanup – this will get sticky ) and spread the carrots in an even layer.
- Bake at 400F for 40 minutes, mixing once halfway through. Pour everything in a bowl. The sauce is a great addition to the rest of your brunch!
Spinach Herb Salad with Preserved Lemon Dressing
- Rind of 2 preserved lemons
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 1/4 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1/4 tsp fresh ground black p
epper - Juice of 2 lemons (about 3-4 tbsp)
- ½ cup olive oil
- 4 cups spinach
- ½ cup fresh arugula
- 10-12 fresh basil leaves, ripped and bruised
Salad dressing directions
- In addition to the bag of spinach in his fridge, we tossed this salad with the fresh arugula and basil growing in his window box. Mixing fresh herbs into your salads really punches up the flavor!
- Once more, scoop the interior from your preserved lemons, rinse them clean, then mince the rinds.
- Toss everything but the leaves into a mason jar and shake until well blended.
- Toss the salad greens.
Our were a spinach base with fresh arugula from his windowsill garden plus a heaping handful of bruised and ripped fresh basil leaves. Use whatever greens you like best!
Maple-Basil Lemonade
- Juice of 10 lemons
- ¼ cup maple syrup (more if you like it sweeter)
- 10-12 ripped basil leaves
- water to taste (about 1/2 gallon for us)
Lemonade directions
- Pour everything into a large pitcher and stir vigorously. Let it sit for at least half an hour so the flavors will mingle, then serve over ice.
