Sidonie Maroon

On the far side of open pasture, the trail curves and under a hedge of thimbleberry canes, I see emerging stinging nettles. 

They’re the perfect size for harvesting. I’ve brought a sack, with a produce bag, scissors, and thick garden gloves tucked inside. Squatting down, I snip off the first four inches of leaves and use the scissors to drop it in the bag. 

When my bag’s full, I thank the patch, knowing it’ll recover, and the next time I pass by, the nettles will be twice as high.

Nettles are dynamic accumulators, or mining plants. They gather macro and micronutrients, and help improve neighboring plants’ defenses against pests and diseases. Such a giving plant, they also provide food and shelter to more than 40 species of insects, including gorgeous butterflies. 

If you’re unable to harvest nettles, both the farmers market and the Food Co-op sell them. 

But if you’re only inexperienced, please venture out. Stinging nettles are widespread, growing in moist woods, often under alders where the soil is soft, black and nitrogen rich. You can find them along streams, ditches, on mountain slopes, and in woodland clearings. 

Nettle season’s here, and for the uninitiated but curious, I’ve answered some questions and will hopefully inspire you to forage and cook with our wild — Urtica dioica, the stinging nettle. 

Q: Is there a painless way to pick nettles?

A: First, remember that nettle stings are not poisonous. They’re only a reminder to be respectful when handling this plant. 

Like a rose’s thorn, nettles clarify that they have boundaries! So wear garden gloves, and use a pair of scissors to cut off the tender top leaves. Then use your scissors to move the nettle tops to your collecting bag. Remember to only pick as much as you’ll use, and to say thank-you after harvesting.

Q: How do I take the sting out of nettles so I can eat them?

A: Use any of these methods.

Use tongs to move uncooked nettles around the kitchen 

Blanch them by dropping them into boiling water for 1-2 minutes and then draining.

Steam for 5 minutes.

Sauté until soft and wilted.

Simmer in a soup or broth.

Infuse for 15 minutes, or up to overnight for tea.

Q: Why would I want to eat a stinging weed?

A: So many reasons.

They’re a highly nutritious superfood providing vitamins A, B6, K, riboflavin, folate, calcium, manganese, magnesium, iron, phosphorus, and potassium.

They’re an excellent spring tonic. 

They’re free local food.

They’re versatile and delicious. You can use nettles like you would spinach in soups, sauces, casseroles, pies, stir-fry, or even to make beer and wine.

Q: Where can I find nettles and do they have a season? 

A: Stinging nettles are widespread, growing mostly in moist woods, often under alders where the soil is soft, black and nitrogen rich. You can find them along streams, ditches, on mountain slopes, in woodland clearings, and in disturbed areas such as roadsides and old fields. 

For use as food or tea, early spring nettles are the best. If you are lucky enough to have a home nettle patch, you can cut them back periodically for a longer harvesting season. I use the tender top leaves for cooking and include the stems for tea.

Nettle Chevre Hand Pies

16 rolled hand pies

Cheese and Nettle Filling

1 ½ cups (140g) chevre goat’s cheese

1 tablespoon fresh thyme

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne

¼ teaspoon sea salt or to taste 

3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon runny honey

¾ cup (150g raw) blanched, drained and finely chopped young nettle leaves (measure the ¾ cup after blanching and draining well) (Nettles cook down like spinach!)

2 eggs beaten 

1 cup (100g) toasted and chopped walnuts

¼ cup (40g) dried currants 

Blanch the nettles, squeeze, and press out any moisture. Toast and chop the walnuts. In a food processor, combine the cheese and other ingredients, except the currants and walnuts. Pulse together and then stir in the currants and walnuts. 

Pastry Dough

2 1/3 cups (315g) unbleached all-purpose flour or gluten-free pastry flour 

½ teaspoon fine sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 ½ sticks (170g) unsalted butter, chilled and cut into ½-inch pieces

¼ cup buttermilk

2 large eggs

In a food processor, combine all the dry ingredients and pulse several times to mix. Add the chilled butter pieces and pulse 6-8 times or until the dough resembles small lentils. Whisk the eggs and buttermilk together, pour the mixture into the processor, and pulse briefly just long enough to moisten. Empty into a mixing bowl and bring the dough together firmly with your hands. Divide into four balls and shape into flat disks. Let the dough chill.

Rolling and Baking the Nettle Fingers

Preheat the oven to 350F (180C). Work with one dough disk at a time, keeping the others chilled. Roll the dough disk out as thin as possible into an 8x8 inch rectangle. Cut it into four 4x4 inch squares. Continue rolling and cutting the rest of the dough until you have 16 squares. Keep the cut squares chilled while you roll out the others. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Lay out several of the squares at a time, and put 1 ½ tablespoons filling into the center of each, leaving ¾ inch free on each end. Fold one side over the filling and loosely continue rolling it into a log. Then, press each end with fork tines, and brush the tops with olive oil. Continue until they’re all rolled in the same way.

Bake them for 15-18 minutes or until golden colored on the tops and bottoms. They’re best eaten warm, but also reheat well.

(This recipe and more available at foodcoop.coop/recipes. Sidonie Maroon is culinary educator at The Food Co-op; abluedotkitchen.com. Follow Sidonie on The Food Co-op’s Facebook group, Cooking with the Co-op.)