Early Summer is Nettle eating time. Most people have only the negative perception of nettles--having been stung by them on occasion, but if you love spinach, you will love Nettles as a substitute for spinach in any recipe...lasagne, spanikopita, steamed with butter, cheese balls.... While nettles CAN NOT be eaten raw and must be steamed for at least 15 mins to disable the "stinging" component, they have the texture and taste of spinach in all dishes except a salad. Nettles also have to be eaten before they bloom as older plants exhibit constituents that may irritate kidneys--though eaten when the plants are young, act as kidney and prostate tonics.
My favorite Nettle food is a classic quiche...or for a quick meal when making a crust is not practical, a nettle fritatta. Use any quiche or fritatta recipe you like and simply cook down the nettles as you would spinach. Nettles interact with the eggs in such a way as to make the eggs really fluffy. It is divine, has more nutrients than spinach and does not contain the oxalic acid that makes spinach a no-no for those with various health conditions. This is truly a wild, green meal!
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