Season four nettles.
The best time to harvest nettles is in late March and April. If they’ve begun to flower, you’ve waited too long. This beautiful emerald green herb high in iron, calcium, potassium, and the vitamins A, K, and C, their anti-inflammatory properties make nettles a godsend for people suffering from joint pains, eczema, gout, and arthritis. Plus, they just taste so good!
How to harvest? First you have to navigate that the plant’s are very prickly and painful exterior to get to its wild superfood. Nettles grow anywhere swampy, when you’re picking it make sure that it’s away from busy roads, pollution and were dogs walk about. Wear gloves! Make sure that your arms and legs are well-covered, including your wrists and ankle. Pick only light green nettles! Bringing nettle home, clean it well with cold water and blanche it just the lives for two minutes and than you can use it for salad. If you making soup add nettle 2 minutes before end of the cooking.
Below, you can find a recipe how to use nettle.
Nettle soup.
•STEP 1 In a large pot, blanch a pound of nettles in boiling water for 2 minutes to take the sting out. Remove the nettles and set aside. Discard the water. •STEP 2 Worm 2 tablespoons of olive oil or ghee butter in the same pot over medium heat and sauté a small, diced onion for about 5 minutes. I’d like to use leek instead. •STEP 3 Add 5 cups of veggie broth, 2 teaspoons of salt, a medium potato (peeled and chopped). •STEP4, allow the soup to simmer for about an hour or until everything is very soft. Add blanched nettles for about 2-3 minutes before finishing cooking and 50ml of cream if you like.•STEP 5 Remove the pan from the heat. I like to leave it without blending. But you can also blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Serve with a little Parmesan cheese if you like! Bon appetite.
Salad:
450g chickpeas, 250 g green beans, 100g blanched for 2 minutes nettles, 1 large aubergine,1 large courgette, 1 teaspoon coconut oil, 1 teaspoon zaatar powder,1/4 teaspoon turmeric, 5 leaves fresh mint (optional),1/2 medium lemon or lime (its zest and juice),1-2 clove(s) garlic,Pink Himalayan salt, cayenne pepper (to taste).
Instructions:
•STEP 1 Rinse the chickpeas and allow them to drain properly.
Slice the aubergines into medium slices, slightly salt on both sides and set aside.•STEP 2 In a large deep nonstick frying pan or a shallower cooking pot put a tiny amount of coconut oil (1/2 tbsp). Place the courgette cut into small slices and the snapped green beans. Cook on medium fire for about 10-15 min till the courgettes get slightly soft and brown, tossing occasionally.
•STEP 3 When cooked sprinkle some salt, freshly ground black pepper, crushed and chopped garlic, turmeric powder, zaatar powder, fennel seeds. Add the chickpeas and toss, cook for an extra 3-4 minutes. When finished, place in a large bowl to cool.•STEP 4 Meanwhile, pat dry the aubergines with a paper or kitchen towel to wipe all the released juice or simply squeeze them in your hands. In a separate pan or the same pot/frying pan after being used to cook the beans and the courgette, add 1/2 tbsp coconut oil. Cook the aubergines on both sides on medium fire. Do not add salt as they have absorbed most of the sprinkled salt already. When all cooked add to the chickpeas and give a good old toss.•STEP 5 Zest and juice half a lemon, add the zest and sprinkle the juice all over the salad! Add nettles and mix well together.
Enjoy it, it is so delicious!