Nettle Soup

"You never forget your first encounter with stinging nettles. I was about 6 years old on a trail in Griffith Park in Los Angeles with my parents. My hand brushed against a plant alongside the path. OUCH! It felt like a hundred little needles poking the back of my hand. Soon, my skin was covered with little white bumps, proof of the pain. What I didn’t know then, nor could possibly appreciate at that age, was how nutritious nettles are, and how delicious! Nettles have been used as an herbal remedy for thousands of years, to help treat inflammation and urinary issues. You can buy nettle supplements and nettle tea. The first time I ate nettles, they were baked, on a pizza. Wow! The flavor is something akin to spinach, but even better. The most classic way to serve nettles is in nettle soup, made with potatoes, stock, and a little cream. Luxurious and vibrant green, this soup is a bowl-licker. Where to get nettles? Given the sting factor, you won’t find them in the grocery story. You either have to forage for them yourself (they grow wild on almost every continent), in which case, wear thick gloves, and pick the tender tops before they flower, or you can sometimes find them at your local farmer’s market in early spring. My friend Hank Shaw brought me these nettles which he foraged from a field near the Sacramento Delta (thanks Hank!)...."