Juicy Morsel May 2, 2009 - Joining the Nettle Bandwagon

Joining the Nettle Bandwagon
I've been hearing lots of chatter this spring amongst the local food movement about nettles (stinging nettles). I love the adventure of trying new foods. So I took advantage of the opportunity to buy some at the last winter farmers market last weekend.

I polled a few vendors on how to prepare them and each had their favourite way. I came to the conclusion that they are good any way that you enjoy cooked, leafy greens.
And, my favourite way to eat leafy greens is in a frittata.

It was delicious - my favourite greens - hands down! They have a very fresh "green" taste, similar to fiddleheads. To me they taste like the smell when I walk through the woods after a spring rain. Now, I just need to learn how to forage for them.

I love this frittata recipe. Its so versatile - I've used all sorts of veggie combos. And, who doesn't love breakfast for dinner?

With the nettles, I used other ingredients in my fridge: leek (the whites only), mushrooms, mustard greens, buttermilk instead of the milk, and brie cheese.

Vegetable Frittata
The constant ingredients:
vegetable oil (i typically use olive)
5 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 generous tsp powdered mustard
1/2 tsp salt (optional)

The varied ingredients:
Use in any combination that sounds good to you.
members of the alium family (e.g. leek, onion, garlic, garlic spears)
leafy greens (swiss chard, spinach, kale)
other veggies (e.g. asparagus, bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini)
cheese (e.g. cheddar, parmesan, brie, mozarella)
herbs (I've always used parsley but I'm sure others would be good too)

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Lightly grease a 9 inch pie plate. Set aside.
3. Wash and chop the veggies.
4. In a frypan, heat the oil. Saute the alium family members until softened.
5. Meanwhile, combine eggs, milk, mustard, herbs & salt in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.
6. If using a hard cheese (like cheddar), shred it and set aside.
7. Add other veggies to the frypan until just soft. Add leafy greens last, cooking until just barely wilted. I like lots and lots of greens, so I need to add the greens in batches, waiting to add the next batch until the previous batch starts to wilt so that all the greens can fit into the frypan.
8. Transfer veggies to the pie plate. Pour in the egg mixture. Top with the cheese.
9. Bake in the oven about 20 to 25 minutes, until the centre is golden brown. Let rest a few minutes before serving.