Review Feature: Nettle soup | Clare Latimer shares some ideas on how to eat well and avoid being stung by rising food prices

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The Review - FOOD AND DRINK - Cooking with CLARE
Published: 6 June 2008

Elderflowers heads make a surprisingly versatile, delicately flavoured ingredient

Camden food and drink | Review | Claire Latimer | Countryside | food prices | Nettle soup recipe

Clare Latimer shares some ideas on how to eat well and avoid being stung by rising food prices

WITH all the torrential rain we have had lately the countryside will be as lush as ever so this week I have decided to get the country clad on and go into the hedge rows and gather a few freebies. This comes as a welcome relief as foods are just rocketing up in price.
I realise that you still have the petrol to worry about but at least you can have some fun picking your goodies but remember to take some gloves to pick the stinging nettles otherwise the fun may be whipped away rather fast.

Nettle soup
Nettles have a great flavour and are a very forgotten ingredient. As you are aware, they don’t have much going for them so this is a very good use. Make sure to only take the soft and tender tips from the stem. You will need a full bag as they boil down a great deal like spinach.
You could vary this recipe and add some watercress to spice it up a little or if you can’t find the nettles you could use half little gem lettuce and half watercress.
If by any extraordinary chance the weather is balmy hot then this soup can be served cold, so either way it is a goody.

Ingredients
Serves 4
500g potatoes
50g butter
1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
225g young nettles, washed
1 litre chicken/vegetable stock
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small carton sour cream
Little freshly grated nutmeg.

Method
Peel and chop the potatoes into small chunks then cook them in boiling salted water for 10 minutes or until soft. Drain and set aside. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onion.
Cook for three minutes, add the nettles and gently stew for a further three minutes. Add the potatoes and the stock.
Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Cool slightly and then either puree with a hand blender in the saucepan or transfer to a work-top blender and wiz until smooth. Check seasoning and stir in nearly all the soured cream.
To serve, either hot or cold, pour into the bowls, top with a little soured cream and grate over some fresh nutmeg.

Elderflower jelly
This is a wonderful light summer pudding and the flavour of the lime, elderflower and raspberry just marry to perfection. You could top the glasses just before serving with a little layer of double cream or serve them just as they are.

Ingredients
Serves 4
3 limes
10g gelatine powder
100g white sugar
425 ml water
5 large heads elderflower heads
1 punnet raspberries.

Method
Grate the zest from the limes and then squeeze out the juice. Soak the gelatine in cold water for about two minutes.
Put the sugar in a saucepan with the water and bring to the boil. Add the elderflower heads and simmer for five minutes. Remove from the heat and pour this syrup over the “sponged” gelatine. Stir gently until the gelatine is dissolved.
Stir in the lime juice and zest and allow to infuse for two minutes. Strain through a fine sieve and then pour into glasses.
Add the raspberries evenly into each glass and then cool and leave to set in the fridge.

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