Stinging Nettles

 

Harvest and Preparation 

 

To harvest nettles, be sure to wear gloves, as the leaves and stems cause skin irritation. Nettles are best harvested during the early spring months, when shoots are new and tender, before going to seed in late spring.

 

Stinging Nettle Soup

 

2 quarts chicken or vegetable broth

3 cups freshly harvested nettle leaves

1 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 herb bundle of sage, rosemary, thyme, and oregano

 

Simmer the raw sunflower seeds in broth with herb bundle for 15 minutes until soft.

 

After 15 minutes, remove the herb bundle, add the fresh, de-stemmed nettles and simmer another 10 minutes until nettles are fully cooked.

 

Cream of Nettle Soup with Potatoes

 

1 lb fresh nettles

½ lb russet potatoes, diced

1 leek, white part only

3 ¼ tsp butter

1 ¾ cup water

⅓ cup cream

 

In a small pan, saute the leeks in butter until soft. Add potato and water, and cook until soft and falling apart. Blend the potato-leek mixture in a blender. Return to pan. Add the cream. In a separate pot, blanch the nettles until soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add nettles to the soup and season to taste with salt and pepper. Reheat and thin with water or cream if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

 

Wild Nettle Pie

 

1 onion

4-6 cups nettle leaves

1 cup grated sharp cheddar

1 cup grated mozzarella

2 eggs

Nutmeg, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce (all to taste)

 

Preheat oven to 375.

 

Chop onion and saute in a little oil until tender. Rinse the nettle leaves and tender stems and chop coarsely. Add the leaves to the onions and stir over low to medium heat until the leaves are wilted.

 

In a small bowl, whisk eggs until lightly beaten.

 

In a 9-inch pie pan, combine onions and greens, grated cheese, and eggs. Add nutmeg, salt, pepper and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Sprinkle a thin layer of grated cheddar over the top.

 

Bake at 375 for about 30 minutes or until the top begins to brown.

​

 

Prickly Pear/Nopal

 

Harvest

​

During primarily the late summer season, look for fruits that are dark red or purple in color. Using tongs, harvest the fruit from the nopal cactus pad. The soft spines of the fruits stick easily, so you may want to consider wearing gloves as well. Be sure to leave fruits on the cactus for wildlife and new cactus growth!

 

Processing the fruit

 

Somewhat surprisingly, the fruits--skin, thorns and all--can be processed in a blender or food processor. After the fruits are well blended, strain the liquid through a pillowcase, or several layers of mesh cloth. Use a spoon to press the juice from the seeds and skins. Let the strained juice settle and then pour the the juice into an ice-cube tray to store in the freezer!

​

​

 

BREADS

 

Acorn Harvest and Preparation

 

Gather Acorns when they begin to fall on the ground. Make sure they are dry and have no wormholes showing. Acorns can be dried first then cracked, or crack them to remove the white kernel (meat) to help dry them more quickly.

Shelling can be done with a nut cracker or with a rock hammerstone by pounding the acorn on a flat rock surface to break the outer shell. The pink skin must be removed as well.

The meat of the acorn is traditionally pounded into a mortar with a pestle into a fine flour. Today an old fashion meat grinder, coffee bean grinder, or electric blender does a nice job in much less time.

Acorns must be leached to remove the tannic acid they contain. Leaching consists of mixing water with the acorn flour to remove the bitterness. Hot or cold water can be used, but only use one temperature throughout a batch. A colander lined with a dish towel or cheesecloth can be used.

To leach, add water and allow to drain slowly. Repeat until the water runs clear and the bitter taste is gone. Flour can be dried and stored for later use, or you can squeeze the excess water out and store the flour in baggies in the freezer.

The flour can be used in your favorite recipes such as pancakes, muffins, and cakes. Acorn flour is also available for purchase in some speciality food stores.

shell the acorns and grind meats in a food mill or electric blender. Leach the meal until all bitterness is gone

 

Acorn Bread

​

1 cup acorn meal

½ cup cornmeal

½ cup whole wheat flour

3 tbs. Sunflower or canola oil

1 tsp. Salt

1 tbs. Baking powder

½ cup honey

1 egg

1 cup milk

​
 

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large mixing bowl, measure one cup acorn meal and combine with cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder. In a separate bowl, combine honey, egg, and milk, then add to dry ingredients. Mix just until all dry ingredients are moistened. Pour the batter into a greased 8x8 inch pan, and bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes. Yields one 8 inch loaf.

​

 

Acorn Muffins

​

2 tbs sunflower or canola oil

3 tbs molasses or honey

1 egg

½ cup milk

1 cup acorn flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp ginger (powder or grated)

 

Preheat the oven to 425.

Beat together in a bowl all the wet ingredients: oil, molasses/honey, egg, and milk.

Mix in the remaining dry ingredients. Stir quickly until all the dry ingredients are moist and the batter is slightly lumpy. Pour the batter into greased muffin tins and bake at 425 for 20-25 minutes.

 

Acorn Pancakes

​

1 tbs sunflower or canola oil

1 tbs honey

1 egg

½ cup acorn flour

½ cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

Milk to desired consistency

 

Beat together in a bowl all the wet ingredients: oil, honey, and eggs, plus acorn flour.

Add in the wheat flour, baking powder and salt.

Stir in enough milk to make a thin batter!

Pour the batter onto a hot, greased skillet and flip pancakes when bubbles appear to cook on the opposite side. Serve and enjoy!

 

Mesquite Bread

​

1 cup finely ground, sifted mesquite meal

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tbs sunflower or canola oil

¾ cup water

 

Preheat oven to 350.

Mix try and wet ingredients in one bowl. Dough will be sticky!

Dump the mixture onto a floured board or counter and mold into one 7 inch round loaf.

Place on a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 30 minutes at 350.

 

Honey Mesquite and Chia Seed Cookies

By Leslie Mouriquand

 

1 ¼ cups all purpose flour

¾ cup honey mesquite flour

¼ cup butter

⅓ cup shortening

½ cup brown sugar

1 tbs vanilla

1 tbs cinnamon

2 tbs chia seeds

1 tsp baking soda

 

Preheat oven to 375.

Combine in a bowl the flours, baking soda, cinnamon, and chia seeds. In another bowl beat butter and shortening together until creamy.

Blend brown sugar and vanilla into butter mixture.

Add dry ingredients to butter mixture and blend until it becomes a moist dough.

Drop by the spoonful onto cookie sheets and bake for 8-12 minutes.

Remove and cool.

Makes about 24-30 medium sized cookies.

 

Piñon Hotcakes

​

1 ½ cups ground raw pine nuts

1 cup all purpose flour

½ tsp salt

2 tbs sugar

1 cup milk

Mix all dry ingredients. Slowly beat in milk to make a smooth batter. Drop by the spoonful onto a greased skillet and cook until golden brown.