Snacks

Nettles on Toast

This is one of my all-time favourite lunches and involves a quick stroll down the garden to whet my appetite...  it's highly nutritious quick and simple to prepare and very satisfying...:-)  You'll notice I haven't given precise quantities -  because this is one of my 'elastic' recipes - I just use whatever is to hand and  sort out the amounts to taste.

Ingredients

A couple of handfuls of nettle tops

Handful of rocket leaves (optional)

a scattering of pinenuts, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds

some  grated Parmesan

Knob of butter or splash of olive oil

Salt and pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar

2 slices of good bread

Method

Wash the nettles and rocket leaves, picking out any tough stems and unwanted plant debris.Coarsely chop the rocket leaves and put into a pan with the nettle tops. There will be enough water on the leaves so no need to add any more. Add a knob of butter or splash of olive oil and cook very gently with the lid on over a low heat until the leaves are thoroughly wilted. In another dry pan, toast the seeds and pine nuts in separate batches over a medium heat, tossing them frequently to avoid burning.  Then set to one side. Toast your bread and butter it, if desired. Add the toasted seeds to the nettle and rocket mixture and season well with the salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Finally add the Parmesan and mix everything up.  Pile onto the toasted bread and serve.

Melokhia: a traditional Middle Eastern recipe

Mallow leaves are a great forage food, the large leaves make light work of collecting enough for a recipe, and the plant is extremely common throughout the UK.  Melokhia is a versatile dish of mallow leaves flavoured with coriander, garlic and cayenne pepper; in Turkey, Egypt and other middle eastern countries, it's a staple of rural cooking. As such, melokhia  recipes are varied and generally make use of other available and affordable foods. You can use chicken or vegetable  stock for a hearty warming soup, or keep it dry and serve over boiled potatoes or rice alongside  grilled lamb or chicken.  This recipe is based on the one in Richard Mabey's book, Food for Free, which I adapted some years ago to make it 21st century forager friendly: ie for time stretched people!

 Common Mallow in early flower: June 07

Ingredients

300g fresh young mallow leaves*

 2 garlic cloves 

chilli sauce or cayenne pepper to taste 

1 dessertspoon of coriander seeds  

1 pint chicken stock (or a good vegetable stock cube) 

2 tablespoons olive oil

Wash the mallow leaves well, discarding any with rust virus spots or insect infestation. Remove the stalks and chop the leaves as finely as you can.  Bring the stock to the boil and add the chopped mallow leaves, boil for 5-7 minutes. Crush the coriander seed and garlic separately using a pestle and mortar, and in a another pan, fry the garlic and salt in a little oil over a medium heat until it starts to brown. Add the coriander and cayenne pepper or chilli sauce. Mix it into a paste in the hot pan, then add this to the mallow leaves and stock.  Cook for a further three minutes and serve with hunks of bread.

*Older leaves may also be used, but will probably give a more glutinous texture after cooking. 

Variation: For a drier version to serve with potatoes or rice, reduce the stock by up to half.