What a great day for starting my new website and blog. The sun is shining, the birds are singing and although it is only the end of January the first nettles are poking their heads through the ground and I saw some new leaves about to open on the raspberry plants. Why would anyone be so pleased about nettles in their garden I hear you say and I'm sure my other half would agree with you but I love them. There is so much goodness in a nettle despite its spiky appearance and actions. When I was pregnant last year I drank loads of nettle and raspberry leaf tea, I blended them in both along with other greens from the garden in water which I strained and drank and I added to nettles to green smoothies. Today I have picked young nettles for my first wild green smoothie of the year. Its so exciting.
Last year as I learnt more and more about the power of greens I saw them everywhere. A walk was no longer just a walk but but a study in the greens around me that I could eat, along with the nettles there are dandelions, horsetails, plantain, cleavers, violets to name just a few. This year I plan to find more and try them and write about them and how they make me feel.
I have also discovered fermentation, not just wine! I have started making saurkraut and kimchi and hope to try more things and combine the fermentation with the wild greens. And guess what? I have a receipe for nettle saurkraut!!! Watch this space!
