OUR SUPER FOOD NETTLES.

 

I mentioned in tuesday's post that along with the plants on the terrace the nettles are making their appearance.This year we've decided to put them to good use.Rather than uproot them we have steamed them along with other veg. and the taste is good, especially with a little grated Parmesan. Really I think you can use nettles for any recipe where you would use normally use spinach or kale. Good  in soups, quiche,lasagne, pesto etc. they really are versatile, and most important they are so nutritious.
Even the sting in the nettles is apparently healing;-formic acid and a little histamine can apparently help arthritis and gout.They are a really rich source of iron and many other vitamins and minerals, and ofcourse have been used throughout history as a wonderful blood cleanser.----Really a green 'super- food'!
Apparently early spring is the best time to pick them .Some say that you feel no sting if you grasp them firmly,-infact occasionally Joe does this successfully,- more often we use gardening gloves!
So this year we are ready to experiment with more varied recipes.An interesting website you might like is:-
                    http://www.prodigalgardens.info/
  Their nettle recipes look good.----Nettle Yogurt Tonic, and Nettle Cocktail--- I'm ready to have a go !!
                   Mo.