Stinging nettle pesto

by Sarah Steimer

I tried nettle pesto for the first time last year at a yoga retreat in Indiana. I don’t know if it was the full day of down dogs and warriors, but the nettle pesto tasted amazing at dinner one evening. It also only traveled a matter of yards from the grounds to our table. I spotted a bunch of nettles at the farmer’s market late this spring and immediately whipped up a similar batch. It was just as satisfying as the first time I tried it.

• 6 cups stinging nettles (about one bunch), stems carefully removed — they do sting
• 1/2 cup Parmesan
• 1/2 cup pine nuts or walnuts, lightly toasted
• 4-5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• salt and pepper, to taste

Blanched nettles: The blanching is key! Get that sting out before you eat it.

Bring a large, salted pot of water to a boil. Add the nettles and blanch for about one minute. Transfer to a colander to drain. Once cooled a bit, give the nettles a squeeze to wring out additional water.

Add the nettles, nuts, Parmesan, garlic and lemon juice to a food processor and pulse a few times. Add about half the olive oil and process again. Season with salt and pepper and add the remaining olive oil; process until the mixture reaches your desired consistency.

Makes about 2 cups of pesto.

Recipe from: Fat of the Land