SEATTLE — Recipes from Ashley Rodriguez's book "Rooted Kitchen."
Nettle Mint Pesto
MAKES 1½ CUPS
Ingredients
- 1 cup blanched, drained, and chopped fresh nettles
- ¼ cup fresh mint leaves
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice, plus more as needed
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 ounces finely grated Parmesan cheese (about ⅓ cup)
- Kosher salt
Directions
- Combine the nettles, mint, garlic, and pine nuts in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until minced.
- Add the lemon zest and juice, oil, Parmesan, and ¼ teaspoon salt and pulse until creamy. I leave the pesto quite thick, so I can use it for a number of different recipes.
- Taste and add more salt or citrus if desired.
Nettle Tea
MAKES 1 CUP
Ingredients:
- 3 to 5 fresh nettle leaves
Directions:
- Steep the leaves in hot water. Strain after 3 minutes, then enjoy right away or cool and serve over ice. The sting is removed after a 30 to 60 second soak in hot water.
Dried Nettles
MAKES 1½ CUPS
Ingredients:
6 cups fresh nettles
Wearing long sleeves and gloves, wash and dry the nettles, then remove the leaves from the stems.
Spread the leaves in a single layer in dehydrator trays or set on a wire rack in a baking sheet.
Dehydrate or heat in the oven set on the lowest setting until the leaves are completely brittle, 1 to 2 hours in the dehydrator or 3 to 4 hours in the oven. Once completely dried, the sting from the nettles will have been neutralized. Crumble the dried leaves and store them in an airtight container at room temperature. It's best to use dried nettles within 6 months.
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