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Milan, nettle soup recipe and wild garlic pesto!
The ladies from the office returned late on Friday evening, so I am dying to see what they have brought back from Milan on Tuesday! I'm told that the designs were out of this world and that they took lots of pictures to inspire us for some new designs. The garden furniture they found, or more to the point, the great furniture adaptable to be garden furniture is stunning apparently.
Meanwhile here back at home, we've been collecting some nettles and wild garlic. We have made some delicate nettle soup, so good and yummy and I made some wild garlic pesto - fabulous!
Nettle soup:
- collect the tips of nettles with gloves!
- about 1 bagful or more if you want to freeze
- 2 shallots or red onion, sliced thinly in butter
- gently fry the onion
- throw all the washed nettles in, stir well and coat with butter and onion
- stir for 1 minute to release the juices
- add 1 litre of vegetable stock
- boil then simmer for 20-mins to 30 mins with lid on
- take off the stove, whizz in blender
- add 2 spoons of cream, stir and serve
Very delicate and great as a fresh starter.
Nettle is good for the blood, our herbalist down the road from us, encourage people to eat this as it cleanses and fortifies the blood. I've been eating this since we were little, always as a spring fortifier.
It's great to forage around the garden, and see what's coming through at this time of the year. The aple trees are blooming, adn it is probably goign to be a great year - let's see if the plums come out ok, otherwise they'll have to go this year and be replaced.
Nice outside so off to do some gardening!
Meanwhile here back at home, we've been collecting some nettles and wild garlic. We have made some delicate nettle soup, so good and yummy and I made some wild garlic pesto - fabulous!
Nettle soup:
- collect the tips of nettles with gloves!
- about 1 bagful or more if you want to freeze
- 2 shallots or red onion, sliced thinly in butter
- gently fry the onion
- throw all the washed nettles in, stir well and coat with butter and onion
- stir for 1 minute to release the juices
- add 1 litre of vegetable stock
- boil then simmer for 20-mins to 30 mins with lid on
- take off the stove, whizz in blender
- add 2 spoons of cream, stir and serve
Very delicate and great as a fresh starter.
Nettle is good for the blood, our herbalist down the road from us, encourage people to eat this as it cleanses and fortifies the blood. I've been eating this since we were little, always as a spring fortifier.
It's great to forage around the garden, and see what's coming through at this time of the year. The aple trees are blooming, adn it is probably goign to be a great year - let's see if the plums come out ok, otherwise they'll have to go this year and be replaced.
Nice outside so off to do some gardening!
Add a Comment
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Comment by Francoise Murat on July 1, 2009 at 18:52 -
Been away only just saw this - garlic pesto was grand, I need to fiddle with it a bit more to get the right quantities and I'm still trying to see how I can keep more than jsut for a few days. Basically same as with a normal pesto (basil parmesan, olive oil etc...) great on pasta and as dip to but one really needs to like garlic and to mind stinking a litle!
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Comment by Phil Voice on June 19, 2009 at 9:56 -
How did the garlic pesto turn out Francoise?
I have to say I love Nettle soup with or without potato:-0) A little light un-buttered toast as a dip/croûton is delicious.
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Comment by Francoise Murat on May 6, 2009 at 17:50
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Ciao Silvana
Pesto as in the one from Genoa, but made with wild garlic, if I find a picture I'll send it to you. I'll try the nettle with rice. (Pesto e come il pesto di Genova! Pero fatto con aglio salvatico, guardo se ho una foto da mandare. Buon apetito! Devo provare con il riso.)
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Comment by Silvana Raffaghello on May 6, 2009 at 17:03 -
Francoise, where a leave in Italy near Pavia , we use nettle with rise. My daughter use to try and test new recipe ..in this period of his life is contaminate from all is nature and genuine .. so then I will pass to her certainly we will enjoi to test .. what means pesto .. for italian is a special cream made in Liguria ...Genova city ...
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Comment by Francoise Murat on May 5, 2009 at 16:21
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Sorry - didn't mean to do that! I htink your way is perhaps better than my Grand-Pa's way! ;-)
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Comment by Phil Voice on May 5, 2009 at 16:21
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Here is a nice blog about preparing and eating snails.
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Comment by Phil Voice on May 5, 2009 at 16:17
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Hi Francoise
You have very nearly put me off :)
I am purging the snails by keeping them away from food for a week so that the impurities are literally excreted out of them.
I am going to make myself a little snail farm later too. I am the only one in my family who will eat them but I must say, I do like them.
I will post it up when I have done.
All the best
Phil
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Comment by Francoise Murat on May 5, 2009 at 16:08
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By the way philip - th is is absolutely disgusting but from a family that knows its snails....you need to sweat the snails in lots of salt so they purge their stuff, this means killing them slowly....but this is the way they used to do it back in ye old France....., they were in a cage, salted, 3 times, then you clean them and boil them 2 x changing the water everytime. Then you dry them throroughly and make the butter and garlic sauce, which is a family secret, so secret I can't remember it! I no longer eat snails, as I kind of figured it was just the sauce which was yummy, not the glutinous animal...And also I could not bring myself to salt these creatures and kill them so horribly. I feel sick just thinking about it. But I am going to try and find the recipe for the sauce, as this can be used for many other things I think.
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Comment by Francoise Murat on May 5, 2009 at 16:04
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Ok for next week I am going to try the wild garlic pesto ...again as it went horribly wrong for me this past weekend, usually works ok....mmmmh. Also question to everyone: if I sow wild garlic seeds in the woodland, will they grow??????
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Comment by Francoise Murat on May 5, 2009 at 15:54
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Gosh that was quick Philip! I'm afraid I am not one of those cooks that measures - it's more like throw it in and see what it tastes like! But glad you liked it, I made a batch of 5 litres (so that was 2 carrier ful of tips) Also rememebr not to pick low down as foxes might have peed on them!. I am going to do some more and also investigating this anti-histamine properties, so maybe shall make a decoction of it and take it as a syrup or maybe a tea. Need to dry the leaves first I think. Anyway no asparagus for me this year, not until next year, but sounds very nice Philip!
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