Wild Nettle Wonders

The hedgerows are full of wonder at the moment.  How the hell people choose to go to the likes of Morrisons when there is so much out there for free is beyond me.  I choose Morrisons to pick on merely because the Newquay branch nearest to us is said to be the busiest one in the whole of the UK in the holiday season and is 'hell on earth' to even venture anywhere near (even though they do stock Frys Burgers!).  I'd rather flog myself with nettles.  Speaking of which, nettles are magic and JUST EVERYWHERE at the moment.  What stops people, beyond a good pair of gloves and laziness, from exploring this really tasty and nutritious resource?  

Something that does such a good job of keeping you away from it by virtue of its itch inducing sting would not be something that naturally enamours itself as being culinarily delicious and nutritionally beneficial.  I guess if nettles didn't have such a 'sting in the tail' they would have long been devoured by humans to oblivion, much to the detriment of the likes of butterflies who vitally depend on nettles for the growth of their larvae.  Luckily for us humans who do brave the initial and sustainable cut of the nettle, the sting is long gone once cooked or dried.  

The tender tops of the nettles are the best, from a culinary and nutritious point of view.  I personally love the taste of a good nettle soup so the nutritional benefits are a very happy side effect.  Centuries of use are seemingly backed up by the more modern scientific based health claims of the nettle.  The iron and vitamin C content of nettles are fairly obvious benefits but, with the fairly recently revealed benefit of plant sources of calcium, this is indeed another wonder of this populous 'weed'.  A not so known trace mineral called boron is evident in nettles and it is this that helps maintain calcium content in bones.  Chuck in anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties, digestive and circulatory benefits and that is a good start for a plant so hated during those childhood summers.  

Our favourite thing to do with nettles is a simple soup and I include the recipe for Phil's Super Simple Nettle Soup below.  We also make tea occasionally and once I even made nettle beer but that is an explosive story for another time!  We have however also happened across a fascinating article called 'Taking the Sting out of Nettles' which was in a copy of Edible Alaska, a magazine brought across by my sister a couple of years ago for us to read.  The article itself was a great read but it also includes some lovely simple and more unusual recipes for nettles including Nettle Pesto, Roasted Nettle Chips and Alaskan Gomashio.  I only just refound the article again recently so we are yet to try them but as Spring progresses and the nettles grow higher, I will definitely have a go at all of these.  In addition I recently found a recipe for Nettle Flapjacks and that too is going on the list to make (replace the honey in the recipe for a vegan alternative).  I implore anyone that hasn't tried nettles to give them a go.  Just make sure you leave plenty for the wildlife too.

Phil's Super Simple Nettle Soup
Quantities not included as, well it is that simple you can work that out I'm sure!  Just go with the flow but bear in mind that the nettles cook down much like spinach so be generous with the quantity.

Onions chopped
Olive oil
Potatoes diced
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
Nettle leaves

Fry the onions in the oil until slightly browned and then add the potatoes.  Add enough water to cover by an inch.  Add seasoning.  Cook on a boil for 10 minutes.  Add the nettles and cook for another 10 minutes.  Blend.  Done!

Enjoy!