A Chef in the Field | Nettles

It’s no surprise that the first edible plants to emerge from the soil out on the East End of Long Island this season were the weeds and wild herbs. These hearty perennials, their roots already embedded in the earth, just needed a little springtime sun to get rolling and are now ready for the plucking. Found along the outskirts of farms — and, often, within — wild nettles (herbs) and dandelion greens (weeds) have long been romanticized by farmers and cooks alike for their flavor and medicinal and nutritional value. With little else to choose from out in the field, and with the Scandinavian forage frenzy inspiring us, we got down on our knees and started weeding.
If there is just one piece of advice any decent cultivator of nettles should impart, it is this: When handling them, you must wear gloves. Otherwise, the tiny, pin-like, hollow hairs at the end of their leaves will inject histamines into your skin — a sting that can arguably ruin at least 20 minutes of your day. Better to wear gloves, put the nettles in a bag and blanch them when you get home. Even the slightest cooking removes the stinging effect from the nettle leaves. Why go through all this? If the thought of vibrant, leafy spinach infused with cucumber freshness appeals, then you will love nettles. Also, nettles — which are technically an herb called Urtica dioica — are unusually loaded with vitamins, minerals and anti-inflammatory agents. They are nature’s medicine for arthritis and allergies.
In the kitchen, nettles soften nicely around strips of pasta and make for a delectable sautéed side dish, but their clean flavor is the most remarkable in soups. While we were out foraging, we also came across dandelion greens, mint and overwintered green garlic. We tried our hand at combining them all together, and the result was an easy-to-make, elegant soup that tastes great hot or cold. We made nettle leaf chips for garnish — and with the leftover leaves, a tea to soothe our stings.
Nettle, Dandelion and Mint Soup
Yield: 4 servings
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided
4-5 green garlic stalks (the white parts, chopped)
1 quart water or vegetable stock
1 medium russet potato, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
1/2 pound nettle leaves + 12 leaves for garnish
1/4 pound dandelion greens
1 cup mint leaves
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra olive oil for garnish
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic stalks, and sauté for 5-6 minutes until soft.
3. Add the chopped potatoes and the water or stock, and bring to a simmer for about 15 minutes or until the potatoes are soft.
4. In a separate saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
5. Using gloves, remove the 1/2 pound of nettle leaves from the stem and run them under cold water to clean. Place in a large bowl.
6. Blanch the nettle leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place them in an ice bath. Drain and set aside in a large bowl.
7. Clean the dandelion greens and mint leaves under cold water, and add them to the bowl of nettles.
8. When potatoes are soft, turn off heat and add the nettle leaves, dandelion greens and mint. Stir it all together, then let the mixture cool for five minutes.
9. Purée the cooled mixture in a blender, adding salt and pepper to taste. Set aside the soup for now.
10. Using gloves, arrange the 12 nettles leaves reserved for garnish on a sheet tray. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, and salt to taste.
11. Place the sheet tray in the preheated oven for 4-5 minutes.
12. To serve, ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the crispy nettle leaves and a drizzle of olive oil.
Nettle Tea
Yield: 2 servings
1 bunch nettle leaves (about 1 cup)
1. Bring two cups of water to a boil.
2. Using gloves, remove the nettle leaves from the stem and run under cold water to clean.
3. Place the rinsed nettle leaves in a teapot.
4. Pour the hot water into the teapot and let the leaves steep for 8-10 minutes.
5. Serve warm or cold.



http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/05/21/nettle-dandelion-greens-mint-soup-recipe-nettle-tea/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0