Nettle Tea
This tea is delicious hot or cold. To make iced nettle tea for a crowd, increase the amounts below accordingly and let the flavors “marry” in a large mason jar or other container for several hours.
- 1 tablespoon dried nettle leaves
- 1 cup boiling water
- 1 teaspoon honey or turbinado sugar, if desired
Steep the dried nettles directly in the water and strain, or use a tea ball or cheesecloth. Sweeten, if you wish. You may also add a spring of mint and a slice of lemon or splash of fresh juice.
Savory Ricotta Pie with Leeks & Nettle
- 1 refrigerated piecrust
- 2 tablespoons butter or margarine
- 3 large eggs
- 1 large leek, washed, trimmed and sliced into thin pieces
- 1 cup ricotta cheese
- ¼ cup cream
- ½ cup grated or shredded Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons dried nettle leaf
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375’ F
- Line a 9-inch pie plate with the prepared piecrust. Trim any excess.
- Heat the butter or margarine in a skillet and sauté the leek until soft, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool.
- Whisk together the eggs and cream until blended.
- In another bowl, combine the leeks with the ricotta and Parmesan cheeses.
- Add the egg mixture to the leeks and cheese. Add the dried nettle, salt and pepper and stir to combine all.
- Pour the filling into the piecrust and bake 40-45 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool before serving.
Nettle Pesto Sauce
This sauce is delicious over pasta, potatoes, rice or spread on pizza or warm focaccia bread.
- 5 tablespoons dried nettle leaf
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Combine the dried nettle and olive oil in a bowl. Cover and set aside for one hour.
- Place nettle-oil mixture, cheese and garlic in a food processor and pulse until just blended. Add a bit more olive oil, if necessary. Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one month.
What Else Can You Do with Dried Nettle?
- Sprinkle dried nettle into sauces, soups, stews and vegetable and rice dishes for added flavor and nutrition.
- A strong infusion (tea) made from dried nettle does double duty as an excellent hair rinse and plant fertilizer.
- If you suffer from a skin condition or joint pain, encapsulated nettle leaf is an easy and effective way to benefit from the herb’s anti-inflammatory effects. For skin conditions, you might want to consider adding other cleansing herbs to the mix, such as burdock root, cleavers, red clover or horsetail. Check with your health care provider first, though, if you have a chronic condition or are taking other medications.
