Milan, nettle soup recipe and wild garlic pesto!

The ladies from the office returned late on Friday evening, so I am dying to see what they have brought back from Milan on Tuesday! I'm told that the designs were out of this world and that they took lots of pictures to inspire us for some new designs. The garden furniture they found, or more to the point, the great furniture adaptable to be garden furniture is stunning apparently.Meanwhile here back at home, we've been collecting some nettles and wild garlic. We have made some delicate nettle soup, so good and yummy and I made some wild garlic pesto - fabulous!Nettle soup:- collect the tips of nettles with gloves!- about 1 bagful or more if you want to freeze- 2 shallots or red onion, sliced thinly in butter- gently fry the onion- throw all the washed nettles in, stir well and coat with butter and onion- stir for 1 minute to release the juices- add 1 litre of vegetable stock- boil then simmer for 20-mins to 30 mins with lid on- take off the stove, whizz in blender- add 2 spoons of cream, stir and serveVery delicate and great as a fresh starter.Nettle is good for the blood, our herbalist down the road from us, encourage people to eat this as it cleanses and fortifies the blood. I've been eating this since we were little, always as a spring fortifier.It's great to forage around the garden, and see what's coming through at this time of the year. The aple trees are blooming, adn it is probably goign to be a great year - let's see if the plums come out ok, otherwise they'll have to go this year and be replaced.Nice outside so off to do some gardening!

By the way philip - th is is absolutely disgusting but from a family that knows its snails....you need to sweat the snails in lots of salt so they purge their stuff, this means killing them slowly....but this is the way they used to do it back in ye old France....., they were in a cage, salted, 3 times, then you clean them and boil them 2 x changing the water everytime. Then you dry them throroughly and make the butter and garlic sauce, which is a family secret, so secret I can't remember it! I no longer eat snails, as I kind of figured it was just the sauce which was yummy, not the glutinous animal...And also I could not bring myself to salt these creatures and kill them so horribly. I feel sick just thinking about it. But I am going to try and find the recipe for the sauce, as this can be used for many other things I think.

"I have been using Melcourt Sylvagrow for a few years now. Bracken based & no wood fibre or crap within it. I tend to mix in some Perlite depending on what it is being used for. It was sold in 50Lt bags until last spring when they dropped 20% out,…"

"Hi Henry - Sounds like the starter motor is trying to turn the engine over but it has jammed. You could try freeing it off by rocking the machine backwards and forwards. It may work. Did for me on an Etesia 124. Good luck."

"I'm trying out Uncle Tom's Rose Tonic this year as well as Sulphur Rose and am keen to see the results. Obviously I can't recommend them yet, but will report back if they work. "

Comments

PRO

Phil Voice May 2, 2009 at 1:02pm

Hi Francoise

Thanks for this - I might just give it a go.
I really loved driving around the lanes of Selborne, Liss and Blackmoor where I used to live just to see the masses of wild garlic growing on the banks.

I have collected twelve garden snails today and I will be posting graphic details of cooking and eating them in the near future :)

Regards

Phil
Kerrie John-The garden design Co May 2, 2009 at 7:43pm

Can they survive that long in the fridge!
Cornish Apple Trees May 3, 2009 at 9:42am

Great recipe will try. Nettles are a great natural antihistamine any way of making them more tasty is brilliant. Many farmers still eat nettles to counteract their hayfever and it does work. After all a framer or landscaper does not want the embarrassment of having hayfever.
Francoise Murat May 5, 2009 at 8:35am

mmmh I'm Swiss French and have givne up a long time ago on snails I'm afraid! Ahahah. But yes nettle soup is fab, did not know it was good for hayfever though, made my 5 litre batch over the weekend before my husband cut it all off! Does not smell so good when cleaning and cooking but does taste very nice, if freezing don't put the cream in, until you re-cook.
PRO

Phil Voice May 5, 2009 at 8:40am

"Can they survive that long in the fridge! "

Do you mean the snails Kerrie?

I am keeping them in a clean and dry bucket to purge them for a week or so.
PRO

Phil Voice May 5, 2009 at 11:05am

I am just making nettle soup as per Francoise recipe - I will report back on what it tastes like later.
PRO

Phil Voice May 5, 2009 at 1:07pm

Francoise, I must say that nettle soup is fantastic:) I would really recommend it.
I followed your recipe but I did make one mistake.

More on how I made nettle soup.
Francoise Murat May 5, 2009 at 3:54pm

Gosh that was quick Philip! I'm afraid I am not one of those cooks that measures - it's more like throw it in and see what it tastes like! But glad you liked it, I made a batch of 5 litres (so that was 2 carrier ful of tips) Also rememebr not to pick low down as foxes might have peed on them!. I am going to do some more and also investigating this anti-histamine properties, so maybe shall make a decoction of it and take it as a syrup or maybe a tea. Need to dry the leaves first I think. Anyway no asparagus for me this year, not until next year, but sounds very nice Philip!
Francoise Murat May 5, 2009 at 4:04pm

Ok for next week I am going to try the wild garlic pesto ...again as it went horribly wrong for me this past weekend, usually works ok....mmmmh. Also question to everyone: if I sow wild garlic seeds in the woodland, will they grow??????
Francoise Murat May 5, 2009 at 4:08pm

By the way philip - th is is absolutely disgusting but from a family that knows its snails....you need to sweat the snails in lots of salt so they purge their stuff, this means killing them slowly....but this is the way they used to do it back in ye old France....., they were in a cage, salted, 3 times, then you clean them and boil them 2 x changing the water everytime. Then you dry them throroughly and make the butter and garlic sauce, which is a family secret, so secret I can't remember it! I no longer eat snails, as I kind of figured it was just the sauce which was yummy, not the glutinous animal...And also I could not bring myself to salt these creatures and kill them so horribly. I feel sick just thinking about it. But I am going to try and find the recipe for the sauce, as this can be used for many other things I think.