Spring Nettles - 1/2 lb
Order some nettles for your spring soup! Or to dry for a nourishing tea all year.
These are stinging nettles from a patch we grew from seed. They will sting if you touch them with your bare hands (the stinging will go away in some hours however, and I have used it as a treatment for achy hands and arms from tendinitis. It's not the end of the world if you get stung.). You can prepare by putting on gloves and then chopping them, or simply get a hot pan ready and dump them in from the bag. Heat destroys the stinging, so a quick steam or sautee and you'll be safe to touch and eat them.
-Sauteed Nettles: Heat a pan with some butter or oil and dump in nettles from the bag (or after a coarse chopping). You can eat the stems and leaves. Sprinkle some salt to taste. Cook until nettles are tender; about 15 minutes in a covered pan. Add a dollop of butter before serving.
-Nettle Soup: Repeat above. Then, immersion blend the nettles with a quart of broth (chicken, veg, whatever you've got). Add more butter if you're like me. Add some fish sauce or anchovy paste. You can thicken this soup with roasted potatoes blended in, or add some other flavor with sauteed or roasted onion. This is my family's traditional Easter soup!