Nettle-based dishes

Ștefan Baciu, 16.03.2020, 13:32

Nettles are among the plants heralding
the advent of spring. They grow naturally,
nearby waters or on the outskirts of forests. Eating nettles is a well-known
procedure for the detoxification of our body. The young nettle leaves are
usually plucked in March and early April. They are plucked manually by tearing
the stalks. When we do that, it is recommended that we wear gloves since
nettles are extremely stingy. We recall the nettles’ irritating hairs grow long
before the nettles become mature. The nettles must be plucked in unpolluted
areas, which means that, for instance, we must avoid the nettles growing by the
side of the road, as they may have elements of exhaust gas. Having plucked the
nettles, you need to remove the leaves one by one and wash them thoroughly,
until no trace of dirt or sand can be detected. The nettle leaves must then be
put in a pot with boiling water. Bring the water to boiling point a couple of
times. Using a skimmer, take out the nettles and drain them. Traditionally, the
juice in which the nettles were boiled is a natural remedy. According to the
elders, the juice where the nettles were boiled can be drunk in the morning, on
an empty stomach, as a detoxification procedure.

Soup but also thick soup can be
prepared using the nettles. We need half a kilogram of nettles, two small
onions, a little bit of oil and a couple of garlic cloves. Wash the nettle
leaves several times, then put them to the boil together with the
finely-chopped onions. Drain the nettle leaves, then mash them, together with
the onion. Add the juice in which they boiled, obtaining a rather thick soup.
Add a little bit of crushed garlic and salt to the taste. Serve immediatley.

For the thick soup, we need half a
kilo of nettle, two carrots, one celeriac, a couple of fresh onion sprigs, a
cup of rice. Scald the nettles in boiling water, then finely-cut the carrots
and the celeriac. Put them to the boil with a little bit of salt. As soon as
the water has reached boiling point, add the rice, the nettles and the onion
sprigs, finely-chopped. Fifteen minutes before the end of the boiling cycle add
half a liter of fermented wheat bran brew, which was boiled separately.
Sprinkle minced lovage leaves on top of the thick soup. Serve immediately.

The nettle leaves can make the main
ingredient for fasting dishes. They also go with sour cream, butter or even
eggs. Boil the nettles with a little bit of salt, with a finely-chopped onion,
then mash them and mix them with a little bit of oil, sour cream, butter or
even garlic sauce. The nettle leaves cream best goes with poached eggs and
polenta as a main course. In combination with rice, we can obtain a pilaff,
also served as a main course. Enjoy!