This guy, and his fondness for nettles, reminds me of myself

err nettles as in stinging nettle????

dude.

dudette

I was into my teens before I realised that nettles only sting the parts of the body with hair folicles, although I have not yet tested this internally...

all I can say on the subject is that it hurts
when you get it on your skin!
as for consuming it no thanx.

I gather they are wonderful in certain pasta dishes.

I think of them as yard trouble.

That Nettle animation, whatever you call it, is fantastic. Not least... the voice and intonation.

I think there is a difference between stinging nettles and dead nettles. I can't remember what, though. t may be a different species or a different preperation.

That flash was awesome.

Milford Cubicle. That's my new name over the weekends.

I was planning to write about the wonderful, healthful qualities of early spring nettles (Urtica dioica, not dead nettle which is Lamium)and post a nettle soup recipe, but I lost my enthusiasm. That little didy is going to haunt me in my dreams tonight.

Thanks for the botany greenwitch. I know I've used nettle (didn't know they were the stinging variety) in soaps I've made. So.... does the cooking break down the spines?

Yes, as soon as they are wilted there is no sting. Europeans use them as a spring tonic and they are full of the vitamins you might lack after a long winter.

Just wilted, eh? Hmmm..... print the recipe...?

You can use wild mushrooms if you are good at I.D. (morels are a lovely addition)

Spring Nettles & Shiitake Mushroom Chowder

4oz. fresh or 2oz. dried Shiitake Mushrooms
8 cups Water
1-2 inches fresh ginger peeled and chopped

2 Tlb Olive Oil & 2 Tlb Butter
1 medium Onion - red or white - peeled & sliced thin
2-3 cloves Garlic - peeled & chopped
1 Carrot - sliced thin
2-3 medium Potatoes - color of choice - unpeeled & chopped
4 cups fresh Nettles shoots - (*please wear gloves!) OR any greens of choice
4oz. of Cream OR 1 can of Coconut milk with juice of 1/2 Lemon
Chives - minced for serving
Tamari and fresh ground pepper to taste


-Use 2 medium sized stock pots.
-In the 1st one add the water, shiitakes and ginger and bring to a gentle simmer covered for 20-30 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit covered another 20-30 minutes.
-In 2nd pot add Olive oil and Butter and sauté onions until just starting to brown
- add garlic, carrots and potatoes and sauté for 5-7 minutes.
- Add Nettles and saute a few more minutes - you may wish to rough chop so it in in smaller pieces for eating. (*please wear gloves!)
-Season with Black pepper (and any other herbs you might want to add for flavor)
- Add a splash of tamari to help deglaze the bottom of the pot
- meanwhile - find you siitakes and remove, slice or dice and add to you saute pot.
- Add your mushroom stock from the 1st pot to your saute pot
- stir well to incorporate and bring to just under a simmer for bout 5-10 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- turn off heat and let sit for 5-10 minutes before adding cream OR coconut milk and lemon
- Adjust taste with Tamari & pepper - serve with minced chives, a touch of hot sauce if you like spice, and great bread on the side!

* Note about Nettles... She stings like a bee, literally, and always commands full attention, respect and awareness. Wear gloves when harvesting and preparing. The formic acid in her sting will dissipate with cooking or medicine preparation. She is our most nutritious land plant and well versed in nourishing your kidneys and liver as you transition from winter to spring time and shake that sluggish feeling.

This recipe is from an herbalist friend at: www.monarda.net

a stinging nettles pasta -

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/recipe.cgi?r=246116


and


I don't have the link, but here's the restaurant and recipe -

Ristorante Oliviero - Via delle Terme, 51r - Florence 3/94
Chicken livers with stinging nettles and pine kernels

Serves 6
Ingredients:
400 gr. flour
200 gr. stinging nettle tops
3 eggs
400 gr. prepared chicken livers
2 spoons toasted pine kernels
1 bunch spring onions
Vin Santo, butter, salt and pepper

Boil the stinging nettles. Drain and crush to remove as much liquid as possible, put through liquidizer or processor, then mix with the beaten eggs. Make some pasta pastry in the normal way and leave it to stand. Roll out and prepare the taglierini (narrow strips of thinly rolled pastry). Gently cook the chopped spring onions in the butter until soft. Chop the livers into cubes and cook in butter in another pan to seal them, adding the Vin Santo for flavour once they are cooked. Last of all add the pine kernels and onions. Check the seasoning of the taglierini and mix in together with the sauce. Add small knobs of fresh butter to bind together and parmisan cheese to taste.

Oops, I started a thread on recipes with nettles...... should have posted the link here immediately.

It figures that you women would take another one of my useless threads and turn it into something informative and practical.

Can't leave for a second.

I was out looking for bugs for a class and I happened upon the stinging nettles although I didn't know that that's what they were and so I tromped right in, right up to the waist. .............. AHHHHHHH!!!!!!! Help! Help!

I was lucky enough that there was a river right there and I jumped right in, clothes and all. Whew. That sucked. Beware the stinging nettle.

The folk tale is absolutely right about being able to spin and weave stinging nettles. The fabric is stronger than linen and has a moonlit glow.

Gus is nettled.