Nettles and Wild Garlic
Roslin Glen is bursting forth with vitality and colour as Summer arrives filling us with delight and enthusiasm. Bealtaine or May Day has passed and the sun is out - Hurrah! It's a great time of year for foraging in the Glen, particularly for scrumptious nettles and wild garlic. The nettles are young, tender, juicy and full of flavour at the moment and are a nutritious addition to any dish. They are rich in various minerals and vitamins including vitamin C, A and B and high in iron, magnesium and chlorophyll. They are of immense medicinal value too and have been used for centuries in various traditions. They can be extremely helpful for conditions such as hayfever, eczema, osteoporosis or joint pain and much more. I have included two links at the bottom of this article if you would like to read more about their magical properties :)
Fresh nettles can be eaten raw (though fresh ones can prickle your mouth) or cooked. They can also be dried to make a tea to see you through the year and since they are in such abundance it seems a shame not to make good use of them. They are best in the Springtime, when the leaves are juicy and sweet, as the season progresses the older nettles tend to become more bitter and tough (though still very good!). When nettle foraging I tend to take a scissors, pair of gloves (or at least one glove for my picking hand) and a bag with me. I cut the nettles two or three inches from the top, usually with 6 or 8 leaves. Before cooking I rinse and wash them in a colander.
Leek or Garlic?
One common area of confusion is the difference between wild garlic and wild leek, both are edible, so you can pick and enjoy both. The wild garlic has much wider leaves, it lasts later into the season and has a large headed flower. Wild leek is not indigenous and threatens the habitat of the wild garlic. It has a narrow leaf and a small white flower. At this time of year you can see yellow seeds at it's tip. These too are edible though quite strong - you have been warned! As the wild garlic is competing with the leek I am mindful of where and how much I pick, while I sometimes take up the wild leek including the bulb to give the garlic a better chance of surviving. Here are a couple of photos to illustrate the difference between the two...
 Wild Leek |  Wild Garlic |
How to use nettles and wild garlic
Nettles are very adaptable and can be used to replace spinach in your favourite recipes. You can't really go wrong so add them to whatever you are cooking, make a stock or blend a little into your smoothie or juice. And as I already mentioned they can be dried to make tea.
Wild garlic and wild leek can be eaten raw in salads or cooked, simply add to soups or other savoury dishes. In the picture opposite I used wild garlic in bruschetta and served it with salad. The exciting possibilities are limitless. Here are some more suggestions below that may inspire you... have fun!
Wild garlic and wild leek can be eaten raw in salads or cooked, simply add to soups or other savoury dishes. In the picture opposite I used wild garlic in bruschetta and served it with salad. The exciting possibilities are limitless. Here are some more suggestions below that may inspire you... have fun!
Pesto with nettle and wild garlic
Ingredients
Method
Soak about 100gms of seeds overnight, can be sunflower or pumpkin or a mixture. Drain the seeds and blend all the ingredients together - it's that simple!
- 100gms of seeds (sunflower or pumpkin or a mixture of both)
- Juice of a lemon
- Colander of nettles
- Around 8 wild garlic leaves
- Salt or tamari to taste
- Small carrot grated
- A dash of extra virgin organic olive oil
Method
Soak about 100gms of seeds overnight, can be sunflower or pumpkin or a mixture. Drain the seeds and blend all the ingredients together - it's that simple!
Wild garlic and nettle soup
Ingredients
2/3 potatoes
Quarter a block of creamed coconut
tsp of vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Bag of nettles and some wild garlic
Any other green veg you might have such as chard, courgette or broccoli
Method
Cook the potatoes for 10 or so minutes, add courgette, broccoli (or whatever greens you might be using), creamed coconut and stock. When the potatoes are beginning to soften add the nettles and wild garlic, you only want to briefly cook them to preserve their nutrients.
2/3 potatoes
Quarter a block of creamed coconut
tsp of vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Bag of nettles and some wild garlic
Any other green veg you might have such as chard, courgette or broccoli
Method
Cook the potatoes for 10 or so minutes, add courgette, broccoli (or whatever greens you might be using), creamed coconut and stock. When the potatoes are beginning to soften add the nettles and wild garlic, you only want to briefly cook them to preserve their nutrients.
Stirfry with nettle and wild garlic
Simply create your usual stir-fry, and add the nettles and wild garlic towards the end. Get creative :)
Here is a related article by my friend Trinity on the Benefits of Nettles including another soup recipe. Incase you were in any doubt about the healing properties of nettles here's a short article with 29 benefits of nettles. And if you are someone who enjoys a tipple now and then nettle wine is a traditional country wine that's enjoying a bit of a resurgence. It is a very dry, crisp wine that "retains a bit of a prickle" according to Lyme Bay Winery manager James Lambert. The winery recently made 3,000 litres of its unusual tipple using 40kg of nettles.
I hope to meet some of you in the glen with your foraging kit and would love to hear how you get on or let me know if you have any questions...
Happy Summer, Fiona
I hope to meet some of you in the glen with your foraging kit and would love to hear how you get on or let me know if you have any questions...
Happy Summer, Fiona
Fiona is a doula, reflexologist, therapist and plantbased foods enthusiast based in Roslin. She regularly holds workshops in Roslin and Edinburgh entitled "The Joy and Vibrancy of Plantbased Eating" and prepares vegan food for families and groups, as well as hosts vegan potlucks. She also runs healing retreats and is an airbnb host. She loves Roslin and connecting with the community here. Her website is www.fionareilly.co.uk or follow her facebook page - True Living
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