FOOD: Nettle rice.
Talk of nettles and most folk flinch, recalling run-ins in fields with shorts. The thought of eating or even harvesting them isn’t exactly met with exuberance. Like most things involving gardening, it draws an analogy with life, as I was once taught to “grasp the nettle”. If you aren’t committed and show fear by brushing them, they will sting; but if handled with confidence, the grasp will break the needle and you won’t be affected. Now I handle nettles without gloves in the kitchen. Hardcore.
The thing with plants found outside of a more controlled growing situation is that I tend to harvest them in large amounts. The sauce that is the base of this recipe can be put in jars or frozen to be used across many applications – for example, rolled through an omelette, or used with fish, or to finish a potato soup.
The other benefit of dealing with nettles in large quantities is you can have a little party and invite your friends around to process nettles. Although that has never worked for me, I would be very happy to hear of anyone having success.
Stinging nettles are a weed and also one of the most nutrient-rich plants to consume. They grow in nitrogen-rich environments, are very hardy and also very easy to propagate. Superfood, I hear you ask. I probably wouldn’t go that far, but I am surprised to have not seen
• them feature in green smoothies. Yet.