What’s in season: There are many reasons to be grateful for all the cold, rainy spells we’ve had this winter — including the beautiful bunches of nettles showing up at farmers market stalls. Stinging nettles love the cool, damp weather and are normally in season during the late winter months. At first glance, they might look like ordinary weeds, but these greens have a bright, assertive flavor, with just a hint of pepper.
Not your ordinary greens: 4 recipes for stinging nettles >>
A vibrant shade of green, stinging nettles are named after the fine, hollow, hair-like trichomes containing formic acid on their long leaves and stems, which can irritate the skin on contact. Because of this, farmers often provide tongs and plastic bags to manage the young shoots and tops. Unfriendly as they might appear — nettles were often pulled as weeds before chefs began adding them to menus — nettles lose their sting when cooked.
What to cook: To tame a bunch of nettles, blanch the greens in a pot of boiling water for just a minute or so, or quickly sauté. Nettles are a nice addition to pastas, frittatas, omelets and polenta. Simmer the greens in soups or purée as part of a pesto.
What’s on the horizon: Carrots, in a variety of colors, are normally in season from late winter through spring; the colder weather makes for crisper and sweeter roots. Also look for pea shoots.
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