SPRING TONIC

young stinging nettle – Urtica dioica

Among its many fine attributes, Tamaya and Josh’s beautiful home nestled in large red cedars is blessed with stinging nettles. It has the best crop of nettles we’ve found anywhere.

picking nettles

backyard full of nettles

Sadly for friends and family who love to visit this haven of peace and beauty, it is back on the market. You can see it at: http://www.gabriola-real-estate.com/pages/listings/details.php?l_id=50

Each spring we look forward to gathering our prized spring tonic.

washing freshly picked nettles
blanch quickly in boiling water
ready for the freezer

We’ve discovered a lot of information about nettles and their uses on the internet. Here is a great story called “The Nettle Solution”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yTucBoeggqI

The week before Easter, the folks on Galiano had their 2nd annual NETTLEFEST, a celebration of their wondrously abundant food / medicine / fibre. Nettles have been called "Indian spinach" and were eaten by both coastal and interior First Nations. Nettle plants were a traditional source of fibre for fish-nets, snares and tumplines.

Here is a link explaining how to make nettle pesto, followed by the written recipe
Link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1nD9aDNX-k&feature=related

STINGING NETTLE PESTO
1 large bunch of stinging nettles (or 3 cups nettles cooked and drained)
2 large cloves garlic minced
1 ½ cups pine nuts
(one friend uses walnuts instead)
2 lemons, juiced
2 cups olive oil
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese tightly packed
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Fill a large pot ¾ full with water. Place over high heat and stir in ½ cup of salt. Cover and bring to a boil.

2. Fill the sink or a large bowl with cold water. Using gloves or tongs submerge the nettles in the water and let them sit for 5 min. Using tongs or gloves remove the nettles and discard water. Using gloves, strip leaves away from the stems and discard stems.

3. When water is boiling throw in cleaned nettles and boil for one minute. Strain out water and spread nettles on a pan or plate to cool. The cooking water has a lot of flavour and nutrients, and can be saved and used as stock. When the nettles are cooled, squeeze as much excess water from nettles as possible, and then thoroughly chop.

4. Place chopped nettles in a food processor with minced garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Process for 30 seconds, stop and scrape down the sides of the food processor, and repeat as many times as needed until nettles are broken down and the mixture has formed a paste. Scrape into a bowl and fold in the grated cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.

5. Serve pesto tossed with raw or cooked vegetables, pasta, risotto, or stirred into soup. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper. Pesto can be refrigerated for 5 days, or frozen for up to 6 months.
Yield: 5 cups

(Thomas wonders if it will taste like pesto without basil. Another way would be to freeze or dry nettles in the spring, and use half and half with basil when it ripens in late summer.)

Keep your eyes open for this powerful spring tonic, it's one of the best sources of iron around.