An 1844 edition of Chamber’s Journal lauds the many benefits of consuming stinging nettle tea. The journal claims that nettle tea can cure measles and serve as a nutritious panacea. It cites a charming rhyme which gave instruction for brewing nettle broth:
Gin ye be for lang kail
Cow tho nettle, stoo’ the nettle;
Gin ye be for lang kail
Cow the nettle early.
Cow it laigh, cow it sune,
Cow it in the month of June
Stoo’ it e’er it’s in the blume;
Cow the nettle early.
Cow it by the auld wa’s,
Cow it where the sun ne’er fa’s,
Stoo’ it whan the day daws;
Cow the nettle early.
The plant is indeed a powerhouse of health-giving properties. Nettle broth, or tea, is rich in antioxidants and vitamins A, C, D, iron, potassium, manganese, and calcium. Nettle is also surprisingly high in protein. And you need not only use the nettle for tea; the fresh plant can be consumed in a variety of dishes; cooking removes the toxic compounds found in the plant. Nettle is frequently used in soups, pesto and polenta dishes.
Nettle can also ease eczema and soothe arthritis. The tea can help one overcome the pangs of caffeine withdrawal and also subdue nasty seasonal allergies.
This wonderful plant is native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and North America. Harvest it and use it for flavorful teas or in soups and stews. For more directions on how to harvest and prepare stinging nettles visit natureskills.com. And here’s a recipe for stinging nettle soup from cookography.com. Serve it with a crusty bread and white wine.
Stinging Nettle Soup
1/2 cup butter
3 cups sliced onions
3 cups potatoes, cut into chunks
3 cups chicken stock
1 ounce nettles leaves
Small bunch of chives, snipped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Heavy cream, to serve
Directions: Melt the butter in a large saucepan. Add the sliced onions, cover and cook for about 5 minutes until just soft. Add the potatoes to the saucepan with the chicken stock, cover and cook for 25 minutes longer. Wearing latex gloves, remove the nettles leaves from their stems. Rinse the leaves under cold running water, then dry on paper towels. Add to the saucepan and cook for 5 minutes longer. Ladle the soup into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Return to a clean saucepan and season well. Stir in the chives and serve with a swirl of cream and a sprinkle of pepper.
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Greek white beans, otherwise known as gigantes, are large, slightly sweet beans that are perfect in soups and stews. Authentic Greek recipes use them in slow-cooked stews flavored with fresh herbs. It is important that one procure only the freshest beans as that will cut down on the time spent cooking them.
For this month’s Austerity Kitchen Challenge, the Kitchen has developed a version of a tasty traditional Greek bean stew. Substitute large lima beans for the giant Greek beans if you are unable to locate them. Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices.
Giant White Bean Stew
1 1/2 pounds dried giant white beans
1/2 cup olive oil
2 small onions
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/2 bunch celery, chopped
5 large tomatoes, chopped
3/4 cup tomato sauce, or meatless pasta sauce
2 cups water
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried mint
1 teaspoon rosemary
2 teaspoons thyme
3/4 cup finely chopped parsley
Soak the beans overnight and then cook them until almost tender in unsalted water. Put all ingredients, except for the parsley, in a crock pot (or you can bake the beans at 400 degrees F for forty minutes) and cook until beans are tender and sauce is thick. Once dish is ready, stir in parsley and serve hot (or, for a more traditional dish, serve the bean stew at room temperature with thick slices of Greek or Italian bread).
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And, if you’d like to help the Kitchen keep cookin’, please consider picking up copies of my books, Why Fast? and Fermented Foods.
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