On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 16:41:13 +0100, Victoria Clare
wrote:

Stephen Howard wrote in
:

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 11:31:33 +0100, Victoria Clare
wrote:


What did you use for the stock base?
I knock this soup up every year round about now - even the kids love
it ( and kids aren't known for being 'into soup' ).

A bog-standard chicken stock from a cube, I think. Basically, it smelt
utterly gorgeous till we put the nettles in, then went utterly 'orrible.

I'm prepared to bet that the stock cube has a lot to do with the
result - they're usually pretty powerful, and contain a heck of a lot
of salt and seasonings.
I'd recommend using a vegetable stock as a base ( and even then only
half a cube ) - even a fresh chicken stock might be too brutish for
this soup...the nettles impart a very delicate flavour.

If you fancy munching weeds/wildflowers, I do recommend ground elder
and ramsons - both can be used as a pizza topping or cooked in butter,
and much nicer than nettles.

Could get on with Ground Elder - I found the taste insipid...couldn't
quite place the flavour, but it seemed vaguely metallic.
I was disappointed - I really quite relished the thought of being able
to eat the damn stuff into extinction!

Odd - each to their own, I suppose. I'm not fond of strong-flavoured
vegetables such as cabbage, apart from garlicky/oniony ones. Oh, do like
pickled cabbage, but the flavour there isn't really from the cabbage. ;-).

Have you tried Swiss Chard?
Apart from looking fabulous in the garden and on the plate ( if you
sow the rainbow variety ), the cooked stems have a lovely flavour.
Gently steamed, then doused in melted butter...top nosh!

Regards,



--
Stephen Howard - Woodwind repairs & period restorations
www.shwoodwind.co.uk
Emails to: showard{whoisat}shwoodwind{dot}co{dot}uk