IFriday was an overcast day so I headed to Robin and Miriams to drop off Burren slow food festival bookmarks www.slowfoodclare.com Robin is a farmer and a beekeeper and has hives all over the Burren. He sells his honey at the Galway Farmers Market and later in the season will add his organic produce. He is part of the Banner Beekeepers and will be giving a talk on the cultural tent during the festival. Miriam sells gorgeous hats and scarves that she knits from Irish wool (the hat I’m wearing in the Sluichean posting is one of Miriam’s). They have a beautiful farm way up on the top of a hill in Kilnaboy with a spectacular view of the Mountains and the Burren. As Robin was pointing out landmarks in the distance, 2 little goat kids were happily playing together in the meadow. More bliss in West Clare! I then drove across the valley to the heart of the Burren and spent a few hours at Annalieses making nettle soup. Many of the pictures of goats, plants and fruits in Coming Home To Cook are from Annaliese’s farm. Nettles grow everywhere there is evidence of human habitation. So, look around old ruins, compost piles and cemeteries! It is high in iron and can be steamed and eaten like any green leafy plant, steeped in boilig water for tea or dried for use in tea or as an ingredient in an herbal mixture for cooking. Very versatile! To pick you must wear heavy gloves, as the stingers are fierce and will keep stinging for hours. The top growth is the most tender and best for soup so we snapped off 2 big buckets and got cooking. Here’s the recipe that makes a smooth, delicious and highly nutritious bowl of Nettle Soup which is gluten and dairy free:
In a heavy soup pot heat 1 tbl. olive oil, add 2 chopped onions, 4 chopped medium cloves garlic, let simmer until browned then add 2 qts of nettles. No need to chop, they will cook down. Mix all together until nettles are beginning to wilt. Add 8 chopped small potatoes. Add enough vegetable stock to cover, sea salt and ground black pepper to taste and let simmer until potatoes are cooked. Add more stock as it cooks. Puree in a blender and it’s ready to serve. Everyone has their own nettle soup recipe, but here’s what makes Annaliese’s different. In the fall she makes a dried herbal mix, think Herbes de Burren (!) from the seasons abundant crop. In this particular mix she had dried oregano, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, summer savory and lavender flower. So, experiment and make this soup your own by adding whatever you like and enjoy!
