Nettles!

Nettles! The essence of Spring. Rich , deeply nourishing and very defensive, Nettle emerges as the earth wakes from her winter nap and Screams "I'm Alive! Pay attention!" One of my favorite meals is a simple nettle soup made by tossing several fist-fulls of fresh nettle and 2-3 whole garlic cloves into a pot of boiling water, simmering the lot until tender then blending the everloving hell out of it. Eating this is like eating green sunshine after a month of cloudy days. Picking fresh nettle is also a deeply sensuous experience. You may not like it but I enjoy the occasional sting from Nettles. If I get careless as I pick her she lets me know she is noticing by a flick of formic acid on my skin. This sting reminds me to be mindful of what I am harvesting. The sting is not really so bad if you don't get too many at once. I even like the way the zap increases in intensity as the sun sets.
 Nettles is a rich source of protein, minerals and vitamins. I've used nettle as a foundation for helping me increase my iron reserves when they were low. Whenever I feel depleted, I turn to Nettle to nourish me to my core. Others turn to Nettles to help them deal with kidney stress they may be experiencing or allergic symptoms causing them difficulties. Nettles is strong enough to fortify my body while being gentle enough to drink or eat freely.
 Sadly, Nettle does not grow near me, I've invited her in several times but alas, my place is to hot and dry for her to be comfortable. I buy dried Nettle leaf from here:Pacific Botanicals . I make infusions from the dried plant. Infusions are super strong water extracts. This is no whimpy tea or colored water, this is deep nourishment. I put 1oz of nettle in a QT jar and cover with boiling water and let sit for 4-8 hours( overnight) then I strain the brew through a strainer and a muslin cloth. I use a cloth because the teeny tiny bits of plant that settle on the bottom of the pitcher get on my nerves when I swallow them. Some may not be bothered by them but they bug me. I drink my Nettle cold, either from the fridge or over ice. Once in a blue moon I'll drink it warm. When it's warm, it reminds me of soup.
 Notice all the plant material in this infusion.  Yummy nettle infusion.