On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 16:33:19 +0100, Stephen Howard wrote:

On Wed, 31 Mar 2004 14:36:12 GMT, Tim Challenger
"timothy(dot)challenger(at)apk(dot)at" wrote:



Stinging-nettle soup for your garden: :-)


Fill a big pot/drum with nettles, fill 3/4 with water and stand pot in a
warm location do not cover. It should start fermenting - leave for a week
or two, stirring every day or so. When it's finished fermenting it should
be a dark brown colour (and probably smell awful). Remove nettles and bung
on compost, you can now cover the pot if you want.

Ain't no 'probably' about the awful smell - it really does niff
something chronic!


Dilute 1:50 and spray to fight aphids.
or 1:10 or stronger as a liquid feed. Rich in nitrogen and potash.
Or so I'm told.

I've used it as a foliar feed, and it works wonders.
I'd be inclined to spray it on late in the evening, to give the odour
a chance to dissipate overnight.

Regards,

I only tried the nettle brew, but all these teas and infusions are pretty
popular over here. You can even get instant nettle infusion concentrate in
the gardening shops, just add water....
The field next to the garden has a patch of nettles right up to our fence.
So anything that grows through is fair game. I am happy with the bits in
his field as it feeds the caterpillars (spikey black ones with hundreds of
tiny white spots - peacocks?). But it looks like this year he's going to
dig that patch up. Shame.
--
Tim C.

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 01:54:18 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades said:

[]
] Agreed that ransomes and ground elder are good, but properly treated,
] nettles are ace, too. Good King Henry, fat hen, glasswort, samphire
] (Crithrum maritimum, *NOT* Salicornia perennis!), sea kale, sea spinach,
] dandelion leaves and the young shoots of hogweed are all delicious as
] well.
]
]

Yes, it will soon be time for nettle soup. Our recipe comes from the American
"Joy of Cooking" -- which also has squirrel stew etc -- and isn't half bad.

The most interesting nettle concoction was eaten at a 2 ** restaurant in Caen,
nettle and camembert ice cream. This horrible sounding thing was actually
delicious!

Rusty, how to cook ground elder? Lor knows I've enough of it...

-E
-
Emery Davis
You can reply to
by removing the well known companies

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

I'd imagine that anything eaten with Ramsons would taste just fine
though - I get hungry just walking past them ( until they turn! ).

I had no idea they could become aggressive.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

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

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 01:54:18 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades said:

[]
] Agreed that ransomes and ground elder are good, but properly treated,
] nettles are ace, too. Good King Henry, fat hen, glasswort, samphire
] (Crithrum maritimum, *NOT* Salicornia perennis!), sea kale, sea spinach,
] dandelion leaves and the young shoots of hogweed are all delicious as
] well.
]
]

Yes, it will soon be time for nettle soup. Our recipe comes from the American
"Joy of Cooking" -- which also has squirrel stew etc -- and isn't half bad.

The most interesting nettle concoction was eaten at a 2 ** restaurant in Caen,
nettle and camembert ice cream. This horrible sounding thing was actually
delicious!

Rusty, how to cook ground elder? Lor knows I've enough of it...

-E
-
Emery Davis
You can reply to
by removing the well known companies

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 09:16:49 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

I'd imagine that anything eaten with Ramsons would taste just fine
though - I get hungry just walking past them ( until they turn! ).

I had no idea they could become aggressive.

Oh, they can. If you get caught in a festering patch of 'em it's like
being mugged by a corpse!

It's an odour second only to liquid nettle feed.

Regards,




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

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

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 09:16:49 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades
wrote:

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

I'd imagine that anything eaten with Ramsons would taste just fine
though - I get hungry just walking past them ( until they turn! ).

I had no idea they could become aggressive.

Oh, they can. If you get caught in a festering patch of 'em it's like
being mugged by a corpse!

It's an odour second only to liquid nettle feed.

Regards,




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

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 09:16:49 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

I'd imagine that anything eaten with Ramsons would taste just fine
though - I get hungry just walking past them ( until they turn! ).

I had no idea they could become aggressive.

Is that why they're sometimes called wild garlic?
--
Tim C.

On Thu, 1 Apr 2004 09:16:49 +0100, Jaques d'Alltrades wrote:

The message
from Stephen Howard contains these words:

I'd imagine that anything eaten with Ramsons would taste just fine
though - I get hungry just walking past them ( until they turn! ).

I had no idea they could become aggressive.

Is that why they're sometimes called wild garlic?
--
Tim C.

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

Try with caution, folks: I did, and I & my mum & sister thought it truly
revolting. Even the dogs refused it. YMMV.

I've heard it's important to use only the delicate tips and young leaves,
and only before they've flowered as well.
I never liked anything made with nettles myself.
--
Tim C.

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

Try with caution, folks: I did, and I & my mum & sister thought it truly
revolting. Even the dogs refused it. YMMV.

I've heard it's important to use only the delicate tips and young leaves,
and only before they've flowered as well.
I never liked anything made with nettles myself.
--
Tim C.

The message
from Emery Davis contains these words:

Rusty, how to cook ground elder? Lor knows I've enough of it...

Cook young shoots with folded leaves lightly and serve (IMO) with melted
butter. Larger sprigs of YOUNG leaves, cook as spinach, or as a flavour
in stews, casseroles, etc.

They should only be eaten (allegedly) until the flowers appear.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

The message
from Emery Davis contains these words:

Rusty, how to cook ground elder? Lor knows I've enough of it...

Cook young shoots with folded leaves lightly and serve (IMO) with melted
butter. Larger sprigs of YOUNG leaves, cook as spinach, or as a flavour
in stews, casseroles, etc.

They should only be eaten (allegedly) until the flowers appear.

--
Rusty
Open the creaking gate to make a horrid.squeak, then lower the foobar.
http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/hi-fi/

Make a noise like a cabbage?


------------------------------------------
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