COLUMNIST: JANICE CLYNE
Nettles have been eaten in many cultures around the world and used for their medicinal properties, long associated with health and vitality.
Nettles have extraordinary nutritional value, packed with A, C, and B vitamins. According to Francois Couplan the French ethnobotanist, nettles have three times more iron than spinach, seven times more vitamin C than oranges, calcium rivalling that of cheese, and a protein content on a par with soya beans. In effect, nettle has three times more nutrient density than anything you would buy in the shops, and it grows literally everywhere, for free.
Best eaten in spring, although it can be harvested from shady areas later in the summer, nettle leaves can be steamed or dried, used in soup and teas, eaten like spinach, or blitzed into a fabulous pesto, baked in a loaf, or used in pakora in these fabulous recipes below.
Later in the summer when the leaves are not so vibrant the seeds can be harvested, dried, and used all year round as a pick me up and nutrient boost.
There is nutrient dense food literally under our noses and most of us either ignore it or destroy it.
There is no better way of increasing diversity in our gut microbiome than by eating seasonally foraged greens. I am stating the obvious here but nettles will sting so wear gloves and take a pair of scissors to snip the tops of the nettles. Do not pick the older leaves, just the young growth at the top. Try to pick away from traffic pollution, grass verges or areas likely to have been sprayed with chemicals, and avoid nettles at dog level which may well have been peed on!
This pesto recipe is vegan, nutritional yeast flakes and lemon juice replace the cheese, nuts and seeds provide protein and fibre, and olive oil gives a good dose of omega 3. Feel free to mix up the types of nuts and seeds you use, according to what you have available: hazelnuts, brazil nuts, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, linseeds, and sesame seeds all work well. I add the zest of a lemon too since the zest contains loads of polyphenols, vitamins, and minerals, which our gut bacteria love.
This rather delicious nettle and lemon loaf is a vegan loaf, simply blend the blanched nettles with some plant milk to make a gorgeous vibrant green puree. The vitamin C from the lemon allows for better absorption of the iron adding to its health benefits.
This is really simple to make, it is moist, intensely green and delicious, and the joy of essentially using the weeds from the garden to make a delicious health affirming cake is off the scale!
For the icing:
This is a lovely moist cake and keeps well in a covered container for a few days.
I do not often deep fry food but I make an exception for this totally delicious nettle pakora and this is a very tasty way to use nettles. Served with a nice cooling raita or yoghurt dip, these make an impressive starter to an Indian meal or a delicious snack.
I recommend either rapeseed or sunflower oil for deep frying as both these oils are stable at high temperature, and pakora really is more crisp and delicious when it is deep fried.
The flavours in these are complex with ginger, coriander, chilli, and coconut. The red onion is prebiotic, so there are many nutritious and beneficial elements in this recipe.
As a qualified food scientist, gut health guru, supporter of plant-based locally sourced seasonal food, a fermentista, and foraging fanatic, Janice Clyne is passionate about inspiring, informing, and motivating change in health and eating habits - delivering vibrant good health, through her Wellness Hub and 'Nourished by Nature' skills, expertise, and experience.