We were pleased to see more farmers and more spring vegetables
at the Port Angeles Farmers' Market. As one might expect, things were
slow this winter, especially with the market moving from downtown back
to the Clallam County Courthouse parking lot. As usual, we went to
town, buying carrots, salad greens, flowering arugula, blue hubbard
squash and farm fresh eggs. As we always say, "Round up the usual
vegetables". (You can tell we are big Casablanca fans).
One big surprise was a bunch of plastic bags marked with a big
sign saying DO NOT TOUCH. Needless to say, we did not touch. What was
in the bags? Nettles!
One of the local farmers has been gathering the nettles that
bloom in the spring and are the despair of all too many gardeners. It is a
very good idea not to touch nettles, at least not without a pair of
good gloves. Of course, cooked nettles are another matter entirely.
We bought a bag and boiled up some heritage breed turkey
stock. Using a pair of ultra sturdy, bright blue silicone rubber
gloves, we washed the nettles and popped them into the boiling broth.
We also cut up and added some potatoes, and some salt and cracked
pepper. A half an hour later, we were in heaven.
Nettles taste somewhere between artichokes and snails. They
taste little like kale or collards. Their flavor is much deeper and
darker, with a little musty, minty twang. Needless to say, we won't get
to have a soup like this very often, but it was rich and hearty, and a
definite harbinger of spring.
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The Farmers' Market on a rainy Saturday
Nettle and Potato Soup
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