Stinger Soup: Sunshine Fritters:Dandelion Lemonade

So I think I got the bug for nettles and dandelions (FOR not FromJ ) after the pesto last week so I think I have some apt recipes to follow on from there this week, To keep the frugal but seasonal theme going

  

Stinger Soup

Ingredients:

·         1 large onion

·         4 garlic cloves

·         Carrier bag full of young nettle tips

·         2 or 3 potatoes

·         Olive oil, salt and pepper

·         Some stock or a stock cube (chicken or vegetable)

·         Cream to taste

Method:

Firstly prepare the nettles. Wash and drain them. Trim the stems out of the nettles you have picked, leaving just the fresh, young leaves.

Next peel and chop the potatoes, onion and garlic and sauté them in a saucepan with a splash of olive oil and a bit of butter to taste and season well with salt and pepper.

When the onion starts to soften and the potato is forming a slight crust, drop in the nettles and give them a quick whisk around with a spatula.

Then add a litre of boiled water and your stock. Stir it all up and let it simmer for about 12 minutes, or until the potato is soft.

Put it through a liquidiser once it has cooled, then return to the pan to warm it when you are ready to serve.

To serve, pour the soup into a bowl and add some cream. Swirl the cream around with the back of a spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste

Sever with a nice crusty bread and lashings of real butter mmmm!

Gibney’s Sunshine Fritters:

Ingredients:

·         As many Dandelion flower heads as you want to make fritters (Pick your flowers in the sunshine when they are open, and when you have time to make the fritters right after.)

·         1 egg

·         1 cup of milk

·         1 cup of flour

·         Butter for cooking the fritters

Method:

Mix together one egg and one cup of milk.  Stir in a cup of flour and your fritter batter is ready to go.  (If you like your fritters sweet you can add 1 tbsp. of castor sugar)

Now, prepare a skillet on the stove with gently warmed olive oil – keep it over medium heat. 

Take one of the flowers and hold it by the greens at the base of the flower petals. Dip the petals into the batter and twirl until the flower is covered. 

Drop it into the frying pan, flower side down.

Continue dipping and dropping flowers, checking the first ones every once in a while to see if they are brown.  When they’ve lightly browned, flip them over and brown them on the other side.

When they’re brown on both sides remove them from the pan and drain the excess oil on paper towel. 

For a sweet treat, drizzle them with maple syrup, honey, jam, or powdered sugar.

For savoury fritters try adding some savoury herbs to the batter, rosemary works well.

You Won’t Pee In The Bed Lemonade

This is a very simple summer drink the kids and adults will love very tasty and good for you

Ingredients:

·         4 pint glasses filled with Dandelion flower heads

·         4 lemons

·         Honey to taste

·         4 litres water

Method:  

Wash flowers head to make sure all bugs are gone

Place in a large bowl or pot

Add all the juice and some of the rind from the lemons

Add the water room temperature  

Add honey to your preferred sweetness

Chill for 3-4 hours

Strain into some glass flip top bottles and enjoy!!

I’m really enjoying the year so far finding some great ways to live closer with nature and with what’s available from nature’s larder. I really think we are missing something not using all that around us, to help balance our bodies and keep us in good health. So please try these recipes and let me know how you get on and add any favourites of your own!