As a child, I nicknamed Urtica dioica<\/a><\/em> “itch weed” because of the blistering rash that appears if you brush After this past long Nebraska winter, I was The I was Clearly Mother Nature was listening The word “weed” has such a negative connotation, but really weeds are just “plants out of place,” as someone once said. I’m Even kudzu<\/a>, the invasive weed nicknamed “the vine that ate the South<\/a>,” As Recipe: Fettuccine with Nettle & Ricotta Pesto <\/strong><\/p>\n I use nettles in soup, pasta, eggs, sauteed with butter and garlic as a 1 lb fettuccine (preferably fresh) First, blanch the nettles in salted water. Bring a gallon of water and 4 tablespoons of the sea salt to a boil. Blanch for about 1 minute. (Trick: Place the nettles into a blender or food processor; add Place the combined ingredients in a bowl, add pecorino, In In another large saucepan or large sauté pan, place about Pull the pasta from the water, drain, and toss with the warmed pesto sauce, Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n Feeling sheepish: An exercise in small-town networking<\/a><\/p>\n What the Kerry-Lieberman climate bill means for farmers<\/a><\/p>\n Ask Umbra on pasta, Clorox wipes, and a satisfied customer<\/a><\/p>\n
\nagainst it. It wasn’t until graduate school that I found out nettles
\nare edible once dried or sautéed, which neutralizes the tiny stinging hairs they have.<\/p>\n
\nstarving for something fresh and green, so when I found them growing in
\nour field I grabbed my garden gloves and started harvesting. Brian, my partner, took a little convincing when I suggested we make rotini alfredo<\/em> with
\nnettles, but he was brave. I’m happy to report that he thought they had
\na pleasant, nutty flavor. I think it’s the only time I’ve chopped
\nanything for dinner with gloves on, but I’ll bet it’s not my last.<\/p>\n
\nrest of the yard began sprouting not long after the nettles appeared,
\nand we discovered a carpet of violets between our outbuildings. The
\npurple and white flowers made a nice contrast with the yellow
\ndandelions, and I knew then that spring had arrived.<\/p>\n
\nsurprised, then, when Brian started picking the flowers and munching
\nthem while we pondered where to put the garden. Turns out that violets
\nhave a fresh taste and a pleasant crunch that goes well with deep
\nthinking. I was so excited about this that I briefly considered
\nplanting our 5-acre pasture entirely to violets and selling the edible
\nflowers to high-end restaurants to use in salads and as garnish,
\nthereby making a fortune.<\/p>\n
\nwhen I joked about this plan, and she is not without a sense of irony.
\nBy far the biggest weed problem I have in my garden right now is
\nviolets. It seems that when violets are tilled, the broken root pieces
\nare still viable and can sprout new plants. I’ve tried to make a deal
\nwith the violets that they can have the rest of the yard if I can have
\njust my garden violet-free, but so far they haven’t taken me up on it.<\/p>\n
\nstarting to realize that plants I didn’t intentionally put on our farm
\ncan be very useful. For example, I don’t think of it as “mowing grass”
\nat our house—instead, we’re harvesting mulch for the sapling trees
\nwe planted. The wild asparagus is delicious, the bromegrass<\/a> keeps the sheep fed while the pasture grows, and the garden phlox<\/a> makes my house smell lovely. Someday I’d like to brew dandelion wine, but I think that’s for another year.<\/p>\n
\nhas important uses as a starchy food, a medicine to treat hangovers and
\ncontrol alcohol cravings, and for lotions and soaps. I first learned
\nabout kudzu from the book My Year of Meats<\/a><\/em> by Ruth Ozeki<\/a>,
\nand it occurred to me then that one way to control a weed is to find
\nenough ways to use the plant so that people want to harvest it.<\/p>\n
\nuseful as weeds can be, they can still get in the way of plants I’m
\ntrying to grow. Still, when I’m in a bad mood, there’s nothing quite as
\nsatisfying as to take my aggression out on a patch of stubborn
\ncrabgrass. Just don’t tell my neighbors, or soon I’ll have everyone
\ninviting me over to weed their gardens, too.<\/p>\n
\nside—anywhere you’d use spinach or kale. But this recipe, courtesy
\nof Mariquita Farm’s newsletter<\/a>, looks especially tasty.
Created by Armando “Tiny” Maes of Lavanda<\/a> in Palo Alto, it serves 8 people.
<\/em><\/p>\n
1\/2 pound nettles
6 oz. ricotta
5 oz. pine nuts
1\/4 cup pecorino
2 tablespoons parmesan
3 tablespoons green garlic (chopped)
1 1\/4 cup Olive Oil
8 tablespoons sea salt
6 tablespoons butter<\/p>\n
\nput the nettles in a strainer, then set the strainer in the pot of
\nwater. After a minute, take the strainer out. It saves having to
\nfish the leaves out.) Roughly chop the cooked nettles and squeeze out
\nexcess water.<\/p>\n
\noil, 4 ounces of pine nuts (saving the rest as a garnish), and the green
\ngarlic. Blend until all ingredients are combined, about 30 seconds to 1
\nminute.<\/p>\n
\nparmesan, and ricotta. Finish the pesto by folding in the three cheeses
\njust until it looks like everything has come together.<\/p>\n
\na separate pot, bring 2 quarts water and the remaining 4 tablespoons of the sea salt to a boil to cook the
\npasta. (You should be able to taste the salt in the water; if not, add
\nmore.)<\/p>\n
\njust less than half of the pesto mixture and 6 tablespoons butter and heat until hot but not boiling
\nor popping. In the pot, cook the pasta for approximately 2 to 4 minutes, remove 1\/4 cup
\nof the pasta water and reserve in case you need to thin the pesto.<\/p>\n
\nthen cook on medium heat for just about 2 to 3 minutes so that the sauce has
\ntime to infuse into the pasta. Serve with good bread.<\/p>\n
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