spring is approaching. but there is nothing yet to harvest in our garden except some lettuces which survived the mild winter and some kale. but the nature already offers some fresh things for your plates: bear’s garlic and stinging nettles.

the first time i ate stinging nettles i was very excited that i really ate this hated and hurting weed. the whole summer we are fighting against their supremacy in our garden but now in spring they became beloved first greens on our table.

collect only very, very small stinging nettles and use only the tops, otherwise your dish would get the bitter flavor some of you might know from stinging nettle tea. you have to blanch them before eating as this makes the small hairs harmless.

my mom told me that they prepared stinging nettles in her childhood like spinach. we already had it as a filling for ravioli which was very delicious. and this time we made tortilla with stinging nettles and shrimps and a stinging nettle soup with bear’s garlic oil.