Weeds for dinner

It was so exciting to find a patch of nettles on the very edge of our garden - free food! But before we started consuming them I took a sample to a plant expert neighbor just to be sure. 

I first had nettles 3 years ago as part of an herbal infusion during my pregnancy with George.  At first taste, even mixed with other herbs and honey, they were almost too bitter to swallow without gagging. But I have since grown to like the taste enough to drink it alone, and I suppose enough to rejoice in finding this weed all over our property.

It was two years ago that we took the Huron River edible plants walk with Linda Diane Feldt but it wasn't until yesterday that I had the courage to go out forging on our own.  I took Henry with me and it turns out the patch on the edge of the garden got mowed down but we found another huge one towards the back of our property.  I had gloves on and collected them in a brown paper grocery bag.  All the while urging Henry to stand back from getting stung by the nettles.  I think that made him really curious because I caught him more than once reaching out to see what would happen, good thing he did not actually come into contact because his skin is so sensitive.

In the kitchen I was not as cautious.  I thought just soaking them in water would take away the stingers but no, I got stung.  I showed the kids my sore fingers and reminded them of why they should be careful in handling this plant, but it really was not so bad.  I proceeded to wash and pick off the leaves with zip lock baggies over my hands. I followed Linda Diane Feldt's instruction as she explains in her book Beyond Spinach.  So here they are into the pot. 

I decide we'd make soup after finding this recipe online.  We used fresh goat milk instead of half and half, grated in a bit of nutmeg, cut chives from our garden, topped it with parmesan cheese and it was incredible!  Paul and I recently heard Joel Salatin speak and what stuck with me was his encouragement to find connections with our food, that something happens on a chemical level in our bodies that helps us digest better when we find connections with our food.  The kids certainly felt the connection because they wee lined up with bowls to give it a try (that rarely happens with something new).  Maryanna doesn't look too sure but they all were curious what it was going to feel like to eat "stinging nettle soup"as the called it.  Turns out most of them loved it coming back for seconds and thirds.  

Henry was among those who had three bowls, maybe because he felt the most connected watching me collect the nettles and he being the one who carried the bag back to the kitchen.  I'm happy the kids liked it, it is so full of nutrients, high in iron and calcium and more protein than most other greens, and it was free!  Not too far from my kitchen door and requiring almost no work from me, what a gift from nature.

I made 5 qts but this is all that was left, time to go cut down as many nettles as we can and process them for the freezer for future use.