Hi everyone,
I was browsing for chestnut recipes and came across a winter nettle and chestnut risotto on the BBC website. Now, I'm a big fan of nettles and love making spring nettle soup, picking the fresh young leaves. I didn't know nettles could be harvested at this time of year, does anyone have any experience on this or advice?
Joolz
Winter nettles
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Nature's Babe
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Hi Joolz, I think the usual advice is harvest tips while young and tender. Older leaves can be tough and bitter apparently. I picked some nice chestnuts too, they were a better crop this year.
Sit down before a fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconcieved notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.
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By Thomas Huxley
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alan refail
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Hi Joolz
Nettles are around in two forms at this time of the year:
a) Uncut plants which will have gone to seed and which will be tough and inedible.
b) Plants which have been cut down in the last couple of months and have sprung up again from the base. These will probably be tender and edible (though I have many I have never tried them). They will be blackened by the frost and will die, to emerge next spring.
I see your recipe http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/winte ... hest_73076 comes from Greg Wallace, who was a greengrocer and probably is still accustomed to things coming from the market, rather than knowing much about them in the wild.
If you are keen on the freshness of spring nettles, have a go next year at my soup recipe:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6756
Nettles are around in two forms at this time of the year:
a) Uncut plants which will have gone to seed and which will be tough and inedible.
b) Plants which have been cut down in the last couple of months and have sprung up again from the base. These will probably be tender and edible (though I have many I have never tried them). They will be blackened by the frost and will die, to emerge next spring.
I see your recipe http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/winte ... hest_73076 comes from Greg Wallace, who was a greengrocer and probably is still accustomed to things coming from the market, rather than knowing much about them in the wild.
If you are keen on the freshness of spring nettles, have a go next year at my soup recipe:
viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6756
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Nature's Babe
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- Joined: Tue Nov 03, 2009 6:02 pm
- Location: East Sussex
You could try that chestnut recipe substituting spinach or chard for the nettles ? The chestnuts go nice with mushroms garllic in a creamy strogganof type sauce
Sit down before a fact as a little child, be prepared to give up every preconcieved notion, follow humbly wherever and to whatever abyss nature leads, or you shall learn nothing.
By Thomas Huxley
http://www.wildrye.info/reserve/
By Thomas Huxley
http://www.wildrye.info/reserve/
Whilst in Belgium many moons ago I was served Tripe in a Cream and Nettle liquor which was absolutely wonderful. I must say it looked awful but tasted wonderful. It was the 'speciality of the day' and the restaurant was packed. Tripe is not everybody's cup of tea but I still eat it about twice a month when it is available. I have also had some wonderful nettle soup to the recipe that Alan posted a couple of years ago.
JB.
JB.