An immense amount of my current time is being spent with Nettles. Stinging Nettles at that! (Urtica Dioica)  If I'm not harvesting or processing them, I'm thinking about how many different ways I can bring this bounty to the masses.  I'm on a pretty serious Nettle mission this year.  Last spring sort-of kicked it off but the abundance of Urtica this spring has affirmed it:

I'm going to make my living and support my family with Nettles!

Nettles are a plant. In the same class as Mint: Magnoliopsida - or Flowering Plant.  It grows pretty big and is a common and abundant "weed". The young shoots look similar to Lemon Balm or Mint or Catnip but a little more aggressive... rigid, angular.  They have the highest iron content of any plant and are sooooooooooo delicious. when these young shoots are steamed they taste incredibly sweet. almost like blood.  No need to salt or to season in any way.  YUMMM!  They also are superb in pesto or in scrambles.

The best thing about Nettles though is that they're free! If you find a patch, you can tend to it and it will thrive and feed you and your family for years and years.  I'm guessing that by this time next year I will be cultivating them.  Perhaps even in greenhouses.  I've been pretty passionate about plants and about Nettles specifically for many years. It feels like I'm being told that it's time to turn that passion into a comprehensively sustaining passion.

Nettles are pretty all-over the place in bushy and fieldy places. Go find your patch today!! just make sure to be mindfull (even wear gloves until you learn how to grab them) while you're cutting them.  In my opinion it's worth it to get stung, just to see how it feels.  It's more difficult to intentionally get stung though.  It's a really surprising thing that happens when you accidentally brush up against the plant.  Kinda like a little electric shock. Then, depending on how severe the 'bite' the affected spot will go through some fascinating sensations for the next several minutes, hours, days. it may even produce a mark or some redness.

Im wondering if we can use the Urtica sting to access mystical realms. It wouldn't surprise me and it's certainly food for thought as I explore all things Urtica these days.

I probably talk about Nettles, Cannabis and Fungus forever so deep runs the passion for these magnificent beings.

This...
is
Alchemy...

Love in solution
Morphs according to
The conditions that we choose,

As the mix magically becomes
This mystic elixir;
Our paradigm.

An unknown elemental state.
A taste of being
We beings attracted, excited

With the warming of our brew.
This  is...
Always new:

An infusion
Of experience
And time.

I've been harvesting a quantity of Nettles and drying the leaves to "cut and sift" and sell for tea.  It's quite a venture and it feels so amazing to be on this journey.  I'm feeling guided by Sister Urtica and all of the ideas that we are generating on this quest.

When the Nettles were small, I just dried them, stems and all in the dehydrator.  Now that they are big and I'm harvesting more than I can process in a day, I'm using a screen and baseboard heater system. 

And I've found something extraordinary to do with the stems.

RECIPE
3-4 Lbs Nettle Stems (I wear rubber gloves when I'm handling mass quantities)
7 Litres H2O

Boil the Nettle stems in the water for several hours.  The more the merrier!  If you have the patience for overnight.....

Strain out the spent stems and then lightly simmer or even subtly steam reduce the decoction.  This can be done "to taste".  The first time I did it, I reduced it incredibly.  Subsequent decoctions much less so; by about half. 

The ensuing liquid is pretty versatile.  I've used it as stocks for soups with amazing results.  laura uses it as part of her smoothie every day.  It is such an iron-rich brew.

3cups (or to desired thickness) Nettle Decoction (see recipe)
3Tbsp butter (or other fat or oil)
3Tbsp Kamut flour
2tsp Miso

(you can try a mirepoix too but it's not especially necessary... there's LOTS of flavour already)

lightly toast kamut flour
melt butter in saucepan over medium heat
add lightly toasted flour to create the roux
mix in the miso and allow to simmer gently for a minute or two

slowly add Nettle reduction, a third-cup at a time. mixing it in and allowing it to boil before adding another cup. continue this process untill the gravy achieves your desired thickness. for last night's dinner, i think it was about three cups.

The flavour of this gravy will vary depending on the miso and the strength of the Nettle infusion.

Last night's gravy was remarkably robust and also deliciously subtle.