ment of coughs, tuberculosis and arthritis. Nettle is an antioxidant and may have anti-inflammatory, anti-microbal and anti-cancer properties.All of these cures have been proven to various depths, but none of them make nettle sound very appetizing. Yet it is. And while it’s a challenging vegetable to prepare, it can be incredibly satisfying to eat something that tastes this good that is so good for you, it makes steamed kale look like junk food by comparison. (OK: not really, but you get what I mean.)
While there are many preparations possible for this incredibly iron and mineral rich leafy green, I personally find the slight fuzziness that remains in most preparations a bit distressing. As a result, I’ve adapted a classic western European spinach preparation to nettles. It leaves absolutely no fuzziness behind and is great on its own or as a base for other recipes.
Pureed Stinging Nettle
½ pound nettles – choose the leafy tops of young plantsWash the nettles carefully, using tongs to avoid being stung.
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter
salt and pepper to taste
Blanch fresh nettles in boiling water for two minutes. Drain, reserving two cups of the liquid.
Process the blanched nettles along with two cloves of fresh garlic with a food processor’s steel blade. Set aside.
Melt butter in a medium-sized saucepan over low-medium heat. Add the flour and whisk for two minutes, until the flour is cooked. Add the chopped nettles and garlic and cook over low heat for seven to 10 minutes. You’re looking for a bright green, even puree, a bit smoother and firmer than a pesto. If the mixture appears too thick, add some of the reserved nettle water, a few tablespoons at a time. Cook, stirring regularly, until the garlic is cooked through. Serve over polenta, tossed into pasta or roasted potatoes.
I agree that simply sautéing or steaming nettles the way you would kale doesn't take advantage of their singular taste (and exposes the textural issues). Pureed is another matter. I like nettle soup, pesto, lasagna, ravioli, etc. It's all in the preparation. And another point about health & nutrition: nettles have just about the most protein of any plant in the kingdom.
ReplyDeleteNice new blog!
Cheers,
Lang
Thanks for both the content and the tone of your comment. Our very first one!
ReplyDeleteLasagna is a great idea, I think I'll try it.
One of the things I love about the puree recipe I've included here is that it becomes a fabulous base for other things. Yesterday, for instance, I used it in a soup. Four cups stock, one each chopped carrot and potato, a bit of finely chopped onion, about a cup of leftover puree, simmered 20 minutes and -- voila! -- lovely soup. A bonus, too: use vegetable stock and the whole shebang is vegan. Lovely!
Thanks again for your comment. Hope you drop by again.
Nettle is undoubtedly a fantastic plant. A farmer that I work with, Claus Preisinger, insists that it is the best plant in the world (with the compost worm being the best animal). He uses nettle tea in his vineyards.
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