Nettles

Last week I had a conversation with the muse.

"What do you do with nettles?" she asked.

"I sauteed them once and they turned to mush."

"Gross."

I tried to make nettle mush sound good after that but she wasn't buying it. And the challenge was on. I vowed to make them appetizing.

Two days later the folks at CUESA included a recipe for wild nettle soup with olio nuovo in their Friday newsletter. Of course now I have to figure out what olio nuovo is although I'd probably leave it out anyway.

Then Saturday night the cute guy took me to dinner and the pasta special was not only made with nettles but served in a nettle sauce with pine nuts. The pasta was the color of emeralds, hundreds of emeralds and I was loathe to part with the smallest bite. After eating it I felt as if my blood had gone from red to green. As if I was superhuman. As if I would now be able to give tarot readings. And I'll never replicate the dish at home.

In fact I passed on the nettles at the market this week altogether. I saw them there in the corner, a waxed cardboard box and big sign saying, don't touch. "Think good thoughts," I remembered someone telling me, "and they won't sting." But I wasn't in the mood.

I've since searched for more nettle ideas. I found this article that validates my superpowers after eating nettle pasta. And this recipe at Wild Food Plants for a creamy nettle soup that I'm sure we would love way too much. Then I found a bunch of recipes from nettle tea to frittata at Mariquita Farm.

All of which makes me wish I'd brought some home. But next week with ideas in hand and more nettles at the market I may even invite the muse for dinner. And pick up a deck of tarot cards too and see if the powers are for real.