Make soothing nettle soup

Join Kathy Bishop and Tom Crowford on their West Country smallholding

Spring is here. Daffodils and wild garlic line the stream edge, the geese are laying eggs all over the orchard and we work to a soundtrack of birdsong. Barrows of compost are emptied on to the raised beds, the herb patch is pruned, wigwams built and the first seeds of the year sown. Aside from the tired winter vegetables, there is little to harvest yet, so we forage a few gloved handfuls of wild nettles for dinner.

NETTLE SOUP WITH CARAMELISED ONION AND CHEDDAR RAREBIT INGREDIENTS Serves 4 For the soup:

• 30g unsalted butter

• 250g onions, roughly chopped • 2 garlic cloves, sliced

• 500g potatoes, diced

• 1.25l chicken stock

• 100g young stinging nettle tops

For the rarebit:

• 50g butter

• 1 medium onion, thinly sliced

• 25g plain white flour

• 50ml whole milk

• 150ml dry cider

• 100g mature Cheddar cheese, grated

• 4 slices of bread, toasted and crusts removed • Worcestershire sauce

METHOD

1. To make the soup, melt the butter over a low heat, add the onions and garlic and cook for around five minutes, until softened. Add the potatoes and stock and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, then add the nettles and cook for a further five minutes, until both the potatoes and nettles are cooked through. Blend until smooth and season generously. 2. To make the rarebit, melt half the butter in a pan over a low heat, add the onion and cook gently for 30–40 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft and golden brown. Lift out the onion and set aside. Melt the remaining butter in the pan, stir in the flour, then gradually add the milk and cider. Continue stirring for several minutes until the mixture thickens, then add the cheese. Spread the cheese sauce generously on the toast, then put under a hot grill until golden and bubbling. Top each slice with a pile of caramelised onions and a few shakes of Worcestershire sauce.

Discover more recipe ideas from Kathy and Tom on Instagram instagram.com/the_seasonal_table and their website theseasonaltable.co.uk