Don't be afraid of Stinging Nettles but you do have to be careful.  Nettle leaves come with little hairs that will sting you if handled improperly.  Stinging nettles are a power house of gentle natural nutrition. This time of year nettle plants grow wild across the U.S., Europe and around the globe; they are used for both medicinal purposes and as food. Highly nutritious, the prickly plant is often used as a spring tonic. It's a natural herb that removes metabolic wastes and is both gentle and stimulating on the lymph system, promoting easy excretion through the kidneys. You can find them in the woods very easily (see the picture).  Sometimes you can find them in the farmers markets too!    

I wear a double layer of rubber gloves when I harvest the plants. The first time I did this, I wore gardening gloves and got stung a few times through the fabric.  I've had much better luck using rubber gloves. Using a pair of garden clippers or scissors, I clip the young plants about 3 inches above the ground, just above the lowest leaves so it will grow new shoots and I can continue to harvest in the future from the same plant. The young plants with small leaves are the most tender and flavorful.

I take them home and store them in the fridge in a large plastic bag with a damp washcloth; this keeps them fresh for at least a week.

Nettle Pesto

Stinging nettles have a flavor similar to spinach when cooked. You can blanch nettles in boiling water for 30 seconds to remove the stingers, then use them in an assortment of dishes.

Italians make Nettle Pesto in springtime and call it Pesto D'urtica.

Yeild: 1 cup

3 cups raw stinging nettles
3 medium garlic cloves
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Celtic sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated (optional)

• Using tongs or gloves, measure 3 tightly packed cups of raw young nettle leaves. Add them to salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, drain immediately and then place the greens in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking. Cool, strain and spin in a salad spinner or squeeze using a tea towel to remove every drop of moisture that you can.
• Coarsely chop the nettles to make about 1 cup. Add them to the bowl of a food processor with the garlic cloves and pine nuts. While pulsing, slowly add the olive oil, 1 tablespoon at a time. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Parmesan cheese.

You can add in 1 cup of basil for a more traditional flavor.

You might add a tablespoon of soft organic butter and a squeeze of lemon juice if it needs brightening. Blend for a second more to incorporate the final additions.

Serve on raw crackers, or cucumbers. It is also nice on salmon or as a pasta sauce.

Stinging Nettle Smoothie

You can also use nettles raw in a smoothie which is quite fabulous.  The blending process removes the stingers, really! .

This is a great recipe to start with using nettles. The nettle flavor is quite mild. If you want to use less fruit and add more green vegetables go ahead and do it. Really you can add nettles to any smoothie you like to make.  

1 banana (frozen make is thicker)

1 cup organic strawberries fresh or frozen

3/4 cup almond or coconut milk

1 cup tightly packed nettle leaves

½ organic lemon chopped (pulp, juice and zest)

stevia or to taste

• Soak the nettles in water for a few minutes to remove any dirt or dust.
• Using gloves, rinse and roughly chop the nettles.
• Add them to a blender along with all other ingredients.
• Blend thoroughly (about 2-3 minutes depending on your blender) this makes the stings disappear and it breaks down the cellular walls of the nettles which makes the nutrition more available for your body to absorb.

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