More Cooking with Nettles

                                            This is cooked Nettles, ready to be chopped.

Nettles (Urtica dioica) are everywhere right now and perfect for the picking (carefully that is).  I am starting to use them in everything.  Today I will feature two dishes I used nettle in this week.  Nettles in eggs are fabulous and I made a frittata and a scramble.  For both I used nettles that I had previously simmered in water, drained and cooled.  

Start with freshly gathered tops and leaves of the nettle plant, avoiding the longer stems.  Steam or simmer for a few minutes, strain and press through a strainer to remove most of the moisture.  Once cooled chop to the desired size.

For the frittata, I cooked the nettles (previously steamed) for a few minutes in butter, 1/4 cup of chopped onion, tablespoon of chopped red pepper (the vegetable) and one clove of garlic chopped.  I then added four beaten eggs to the hot pan and stirred everything together.  I added a little shredded cheddar cheese to the top and then put a cover over the pan to cook on med-low until the eggs have completely set.  I seasoned with salt and pepper but you could add any favorite seasoning to this dish.  The frittata can also be finished under a broiler in an oven proof skillet.

                                                                     Finished Frittata 

The Nettle Scramble was made in a similar way.  I chopped the nettles into small pieces, cooked them with a little dried onion in a tablespoon of coconut oil for only a few minutes.  Then I added three beaten eggs and stirred them until cooked.  I like a little salt and pepper but many seasonings would be tasty.

                                                          Finished Nettle Scramble