David Hugo was head chef at Shelburne Farms for five years, but he started out as the breakfast chef creating this kind of seasonal, locally inspired dish. David forages his own ingredients and, ideally, he says, this recipe would use pheasant backs, an early-season mushroom often found near beds of wild leeks, or ramps. He would serve the eggs over O-Bread Bakery’s brioche. Serves: 4

8 ounces fiddlehead ferns (see Tip, page 58) or 1 pound asparagus, tough ends trimmed, cut into 1-inch lengths

1 tablespoon olive oil

16 small ramps, dark green tops trimmed, bulbs cut in half lengthwise, or 1⁄2 cup chives, cut into 1-inch lengths

8 ounces pheasant back or cremini mushrooms, thinly sliced

1⁄2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt plus more to taste

1 1⁄2 cups heavy cream

4 ounces (about 1 cup) grated cheddar (see Before You Start)

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

8 large eggs (see Tip, page 58)

4 soft rolls or buns, split and lightly toasted if desired

Before You Start Even without fiddleheads, ramps, and pheasant backs, you can still make a wonderful version of this Benedict with cremini (brown button) mushrooms, asparagus, and chives; the last two are both harbingers of the growing season in their own right. For the sauce, use fairly young but sharp cheddar, such as Shelburne Farms six- or nine-month. This is a recipe best made with help, as there are a few things going on at the same time. This recipe calls for lightly cooked eggs—please see Some General Guidelines to Our Recipes page xv, for further information.

1. Put a medium pot of salted water fitted with a steamer insert on to boil. Steam the fiddleheads for 5 minutes just until tender. (Asparagus may need a minute or two more.) Set the fiddleheads aside, but leave the pot of water on the burner on low heat.

2. In a medium sauté pan or skillet set over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil until hot. Add the ramps and cook, stirring occasionally, for 2–3 minutes until they start to soften. (If you are using chives, hold those until step 5.) Add the mushrooms and the salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have given up their liquid and turned golden, and they make a squeaking noise against the pan, 5–6 minutes. Toss in the reserved fiddleheads, adjust seasoning to taste, and cover the pan to keep the vegetables warm.

3. While the vegetables are cooking, bring the heavy cream to a gentle simmer in a medium saucepan and simmer for about 12–15 minutes to reduce by about one third. Take the pan off the heat and stir in the cheddar until the sauce is smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste and cover to keep warm.

4. Increase the heat under the pot of water and add the lemon juice to the pot. When the water is simmering, crack one of the eggs into a large slotted spoon set over a small bowl to strain off any thin strands of white, and then gently lower the egg into the simmering water. Repeat with a second egg immediately. Cook the eggs for about 3 minutes for a medium-soft yolk. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

5. Serve each pair of poached eggs as soon as they are cooked. Place each egg on a roll half, top with a spoonful of the vegetables and, if using chives, sprinkle those on now. Top each with a small ladleful of cheddar sauce and serve.

Tip: When selecting fiddleheads, be sure they are the new growing tips of the ostrich fern (Matteuccia struthiopteris, also known as Matteuccia pensylvanica). The new growth of a few other ferns is edible but is not as tasty and may cause stomach upset. Unfurled ferns should not be eaten at all. Look for a tight coil about an inch in diameter with an inch or two of stem beyond the coil. Rub off any brown, papery chaff before cooking, and wash the fiddleheads well in several changes of cold water.

Tip: The freshest eggs will yield the neatest poached eggs because their whites are thickest.

Prepare-Ahead Tip: A restaurant trick is to pre-poach the eggs, hold them in a bowl of cold water, and then pop them back in simmering water for 20–30 seconds to warm right before serving.

"We loved the rustic, everyday feel of dishes like maple-glazed ribs and ale-braised kielbasa with sauerkraut. Plus the book includes inspiring profiles of local farmers. Perfect gift for: the weekend cook who loves all-American food."
—Food & Wine magazine

"Good reading and beautifully explained recipes that perform"
—The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

  "Shelburne Farms is not your typical farm...Cooking with Shelburne Farms is not your typical cookbook either. Delightfully diverse, (it) offers a taste of Vermont's country-style cooking, without ever leaving home"
—The Tampa Tribune

  "Cooking with Shelburne Farms: Food and Stories from Vermont is a showcase of the Green Mountain State's culinary strengths...an inspired cookbook"
—The Boston Globe

"Cooking with Shelburne Farms puts the rustic flavors of a gorgeous Vermont landmark right in your home...it’s filled with beautiful photos and recipes."
—Boston Herald

“Shelburne Farms is an amazing place, and the recipes in this book convey its message.  They show that no matter where you live … it’s possible to cook not only locally, but deliciously.”
—Alice Waters

  “Think Chez Panisse east with the same incredible commitment to getting the taste right, and the same commitment to building the community of farmers and eaters that supports that taste. You’ll love these recipes.”
—Bill McKibben, author of Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future

“I’ve always thought the name Shelburne Farms sells the place short, and now I have proof. Cooking with Shelburne Farms shows Shelburne for what it really is: a community, a classroom, an ecological experiment, a showcase for local artisanship...a delicious recipe for our time.”
—Chef Dan Barber, Blue Hill and Blue Hill at Stone Barns

“I love a cookbook that's about a place —the landscape, the people, plants and animals who live there, and that's just what this cookbook offers.  Coupled with the beauty of a farm that has inspired its countless visitors, these are the important ingredients that give food body and soul.”
—Deborah Madison, author of Vegetarian Cooking For Everyone

  “This is a terrific book brimming with great stories, pertinent information about ingredients, local history, and well-crafted recipes.  We need to support local and seasonal food ways – Melissa and Rick have done so with flavor and style.”
—Chef Todd English, Olives

  “For more than 35 years, Shelburne Farms has pioneered the re-creation of local food webs that bring farmers, children, education, land restoration, and gustatory delights together in order change our environment for the better. In a book and in practice, Shelburne Farms shows how sustainability can be an act of joy and love."
—Paul Hawken, author of Blessed Unrest, How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being, and Why No One Saw It Coming

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