George's Foraged Nettle (or Curly Kale) Pesto

Take a walk on the wild side, and - like our friend George - have the unique experience of making a delicious dish in which you not only have the satisfaction of harvesting the main ingredient, but it's also free!

Look for new growth on wild stinging nettles. They are found mostly along trails in forested areas where the soil is moist. You'll need a knife, doubled plastic veggie bags, and tongs or a stick. Do not touch the nettles with bare hands. Cut the stalk about 4" from the top of the greens, and carefully place the nettles in the bag to bring home.

The pesto is mild tasting, and packed with protein, calcium, magnesium, potassium and zinc. It is a perfect accompaniment to zoodles, salmon, cooked vegetables, and my favorite appetizer at potlucks: a tray of crudités.

Or, if nettles are not available, curly green kale is a perfect substitute.

My Paleo Marin: 5 Persimmons

This was the quantity of
nettles used in the recipe

Ingredients:

1 veggie bag (10" x 16") full of freshly-picked stinging nettles, OR about 6 oz. of green curly kale

1 heaping tablespoon walnuts
1 oz. Parmesan cheese (or vegan hard cheese)
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Big pinch of salt
Fresh juice of one small orange (or lime or lemon)

Directions:

1. Put a medium pot of water on to boil. Empty the bag of nettles into a large colander. Use tongs to pick out twigs, etc. Rinse nettles under cold water. Boil the nettles for about 3 minutes until the leaves wilt (you can now safely touch them). Remove from the pot with tongs to a colander and press out excess water with a spoon or tongs.

Note: for curly kale, chop the stalks in thirds before putting in boiling water.

2. In a food processor, chop the walnuts, cheese and garlic. Add the olive oil and salt and mix. Add the greens and mix until the pesto is well combined. Add the freshly-squeezed orange juice and pulse a couple of times.

3. Taste for seasonings. Store in an airtight container for about a week.

#pesto #nettles #foraging #kale #condiment #sauce #paleoinspired

My Paleo Marin Rating 1-5 Persimmons

I try out these recipes so you don't have to (and modify them for Paleo where possible). The rating will reflect my opinion of the final result in terms of taste, ease of preparation, nutrition, and sometimes, cost.