Nettle Risotto

Nettles are one of the few edible green things growing in the garden in April (in the so-called 'hungry gap'). Nettle risotto is one way of using them, the recipe is from Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall in 'The River Cottage Year'. It's good to mix some sorrel with the nettles but I couldn't find any wild sorrel and our garden sorrel isn't well enough established yet so I used some lemon zest instead. I wonder if there is a suitable Somerset cheese I could have used instead of Parmesan?

[Nettles] [Nettles] [Nettle Risotto]

Nettle Soup

This is what Jason Hill, Peter Macfadyen’s maternal grandfather, has to say about nettles in his book ‘Wild Foods of Britain’ (1939).

The young shoots of the Stinging Nettle (not the white flowered Dead Nettle) gathered in spring have a delicate, slightly earthy flavour when treated like spinach, and are strongly recommended; they may be mixed with a little sorrel. They are equally good in soup. With gloves, a pair of scissors and a large basket they are quite easy to pick; boiling water takes the sting out of them at once.

Jason Hill was a nom-de–plume – writing books about ‘food for free’ was not considered quite respectable for a country doctor.

Peter’s family cook and eat them like spinach.

A more complicated way of using them (for meat-eaters) is to make an Irish Broth with a piece of meat (we used brisket from Cate Mack’s Norwood Farm stall on Frome Farmers’ Market), a few chopped spring onions and carrots, and pearl barley (from Frome Wholefoods shop).

[Nettles] [Add Herbs] [Add spring onion, nettles and carrot] [Meat and broth]