Nettles

After a long hard winter things are finally growing in the garden.  But the weeds always seem to grow fastest.  So while we are waiting for our first asparagus we have been resorting to some wild greens.  This is the best time of year to eat the common stinging nettle (urtica dioica).  The top 4 leaves are quite tender at the moment and can be made into several dishes.  The most traditional is Nettle Potage (soup) which I have tried but not found particularly good.  The recipes I do like are Nettle and Sorrel Risotto (or Speltotto) and Nettle Patina (an ancient Roman recipe from De Re Coquinaria by Apicius).  This evening I think I will try a Nettle and Wild Garlic Pesto.