Happy May!! Welcome to all our new members.
Stinging Nettles: A Spring Treat, and so much more!
Recipes and Information
Be sure to wear gloves to protect your hands when preparing nettles!
Stinging nettles grow wild all over at TapRoot Farms and are super tasty. The reason behind the irritation is that the plant is covered with super-fine, sharp needles/hairs that puncture your skin and transfer chemicals that trigger a histamine reaction in humans and animals. The stinging power of nettles is instantly dismantled when they’re cooked (and by cooked, we mean anything from pureeing into a soup or quickly steaming/blanching the leaves). What you’re left with, once the scary stuff is out of the way, are delicate greens, with a flavor like a spinach-cucumber hybrid and so many nutrients we don’t even have time to list them all.
Nettles have long been used in natural medicine for their anti-inflammatory properties, and they have the added bonus of tasting delicious. You can really use nettles anywhere you’d use spinach, and we’ve collected a couple of easy recipes for you to try!
Apart from the fact that the plants sting, nettles are a wonderful ingredient to use in soups, pasta dishes, frittatas—basically in any cooked dish where you would use young spinach. If you do happen to come in contact with stinging nettles, you can rinse the area with cold water, dab dry and then apply aloe vera or vinegar to the affected area. Alternatively, I read online on a few different sites that you can wash the affected area with soap and water, which may help sooth the irritation.
Veggie Share:
- Beets
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Sprouts
- Lettuce mix – non organic
- Peppers – non organic
- Nettles
Combo Share:
- Beets
- Carrots
- Spinach
- Nettles
Check back on Monday for the fruit!
Meat Share:
- Pork Chops
- Deli Ham
Fruit Share:
Check back on Monday!