[inishindie]

It's nettle time again!

The first delicious and nutritious crop of the year.

NETTLE SOUP
Don't worry - they don't sting when cooked! Nettles are very nutrient rich and of course - free! Don't gather them beside a busy road where they will have been contaminated by traffic fumes. If you keep cutting them from springtime you get a regular supply of fresh leaves, though they can get a bit insect infested during the summer!

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons of vegetable margarine or oil
2 tablespoons of white flour
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped (optional)
Freshly picked and washed young nettles (several good handfuls - picked with gloves and caution!)
2 cups soya milk.
1 cup water or stock
salt and pepper to taste

Fry the onion and garlic in the oil or margarine for a few minutes then stir in the nettles (no need to chop or remove stalks) until they soften. Stir in the flour and gradually add the soya milk and water or stock, stirring all the time. Add seasonings and liquidise. Delicious.

Ian
_________________
www.gardening.ie

[rosiemoo]

Hello,
this is my first post to this site. At this moment I am in Tucson, AZ in the US. But on Wednesday morning I will be in Clare. Yeah! And I am looking forward to my crop of nettles.

I love making fresh pasta, so I use fresh nettles, blanched, finely chopped and added to the flour and egg mix for fresh pasta. Then I blanch more nettles, chop fine, saute a bit of shallot , add ricotta cheese and freshly grated parmesan and stuff the rolled fresh pasta with the nettle and cheese. A bit of work, but well worth it. Can't buy nettle pasta at Supervalue!

[inishindie]

Yum Yum..........I'm off to the kitchen............
_________________
www.gardening.ie