Nettles fried in olive oil, serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 liter (4 cups) newly picked nettles
Roughly 6-8 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly grated black pepper
Steps
1. Clean and rinse the nettles. Dry them thoroughly with a kitchen towel.
2. When the oil is hot, add the nettles and fry on medium-high heat. Toss the nettles in the pan until they are a little crispy.
3. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Great with almost everything, for example a simple omelette.
Nettle pesto, serves 4
Ingredients
5 dl (2 cups) newly picked nettles
1.5 dl (2/3 cup) sunflower seeds
5 dl (1/4 cup) almonds
2 garlic cloves
2 dl (3/4 cup) grated Parmesan
2 dl (3/4 c) olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly grated black pepper
Steps
1. Clean and rinse the nettles.
2. Roast the sunflower seeds in a dry frying pan on medium heat.
3. Fry the nettles in a few tablespoons of olive oil until wilted.
4. Blend sunflower seeds, almonds, nettles, garlic and olive oil together.
5. Fold in the Parmesan cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.
Great with freshly cooked pasta or served as a sauce on the side.
Tip: If you have leftover pesto, you can store it in a jar for 5-7 days in the refrigerator.
Nettle soup, serves 4
Ingredients
1 liter (8 cups) newly picked nettles
1 liter (4 cups) water
2 vegetable bullion cubes
2 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
A splash of cream
Kosher salt
Freshly grated black pepper
Steps
1. Clean and rinse the nettles and parboil for 8-10 minutes.
2. Strain the nettles, reserving the water. Let them cool and squeeze them a bit.
3. Bring the reserved water and bullion cubes to a boil along with the nettles.
4. Stir the butter and flour together into a smooth paste.
5. While stirring, add the butter and flour paste until the soup is uniformly creamy. Continue to cook for a few minutes, add cream, salt and pepper to taste.
This soup is great with a hard-boiled egg on top.