16 minute read
A spring riddle
What’s green and hairy all over,
Grows everywhere in March and April,
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Can give you muscles like Popeye,
Is the perfect des-res for hundreds of residents,
But can leave you red and itchy?
Yep…you’ve got it…the common stinging nettle!!
Nettles leaves are surprisingly versatile and a great superfood rich in iron and packed full of vitamins and minerals. We start to see new growth in March, and it is these fresh bright tender green leaves that are particularly nutritious and taste a bit like spinach.
It is an unmistakable plant which is familiar to almost everyone and grows pretty much everywhere. If you are collecting nettles to eat avoid any growing along a roadside but for whatever purpose you are collecting leaves - please cut/collect sustainably. Don’t cut whole clumps. Just pick a few from different places and leave plenty for insects. Obviously always wear protection on your hands (and ankles!) when picking or cutting. I usually pinch out the growing tips with my finger and thumb, but you could use scissors too. Lay the nettles out on a tray or wash in hot water to wilt. Once wilted they can no longer sting you because the sting relies on erect hairs to penetrate the skin and inject formic acid. Strip off the leaves from the tough stems. Always cook nettles or infuse in boiling water - they are not suitable for salads.
Stinging nettles are one of our most important native plants for wildlife supporting over 40 species including some of our most colourful butterflies. The super stinging power of nettles present in the ‘hairs’ are developed as a defence against grazing animals. It is so effective that few grazers, apart from goats and very hungry sheep, will touch nettles.
When harvesting nettles at this time of year we need to be on the lookout for butterfly larvae nesting. Nettles are home to the Small tortoiseshell, Red Admirals and Peacock butterflies, so if you see curled-up leaves – beware – a hungry caterpillar may be munching away inside, so don’t pick these!!
Many nettle patches support overwintering aphids and the fresh spring growth is the perfect food source for emerging ladybirds, which in turn provide a tasty lunch for Blue Tits! Leaving patches of nettles will ensure that they flower and seed thus supply summer snacks for many seed-eating birds.
Once you’ve foraged for this fabulous free resource, you can happily head home to make a yummy bowl of bright green soup. Alternatively, you could cook up a dye bath as nettles can dye natural fibres a beautiful shade of grey/green and guess what… nettle fibres can be spun into fabric!
Here are some useful links to whet you digestive and/or creative juices!
www.countryfile.com/how-to/food-recipes/nettleguide-where-to-find-how-to-pick-nettles-safely-andrecipe-ideas/ www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/nettle-soup www.rebeccadesnos.com/blogs/journal/dyeing-withnettles
Of course, if you don’t fancy eating or dyeing with nettles, you could make the perfect plant food. Top up a bucket of nettles with water and leave covered - in 10 days you’ll have a thick dark brown nitrogen rich liquid which once diluted 10 -1 with water, is the most amazing fertilizer, but be warned, it stinks!!!
Have fun and don’t get stung!
Sue x
Garden Gate Flowers Tel: 07933736988 E-mail: sue@gardengaterugby.co.uk www.gardengaterugby.co.uk
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The Great British Spring Clean 2020
The Great British Spring Clean 2020 is coming... Sign up now and get ready!
In 2019, over 560,000 people, including 175,000 students, volunteered their time to take part in the spring clean campaign - the biggest ever! Cleaning up streets, parks and beaches, #LitterHeroes across the country have been making big improvements to the environment on their doorstep.
• Over 17,000 clean-ups were held and nearly 1 million bags of litter collected - that’s nearly 240,000 wheelie bins full of rubbish or 4,308 tonnes worth.
• Around 61% of the litter collected was ‘general waste’ and approximately 39% has been recycled (18% plastic, 21% aluminium).
• Over 1.1 million hours have been dedicated to the campaign - equivalent in time to 128.5 years (24/7).
Litter pollution, including single-use plastic – which
degrades the beauty of our environment and threatens to harm wildlife – is not acceptable. You can continue to care for your local environment year-round through the #LitterHeroes programme, join a Keep Britain Tidy volunteer project near you, or considering becoming a #LitterHeroes Ambassador and help to inspire even more people to join in.
Save the date: The next Great British Spring Clean will be held from 20 March - 13 April 2020.
The huge strides we need, to create the clean parks, beaches and streets we all want to see, will be made up of small individual steps - picking up a single piece of litter could be your first step.
#LitterHeroes is our way of supporting everyone who wants to do their bit to create a better environment on their doorstep and anyone who is already making a difference.
Why not get your community involved. Find out more visit www.keepbritaintidy.org
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Paul King
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Hot cross bread & lemon pudding
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Serves 4 Ingredients knob of butter, for the dish 4 stale hot cross buns 200g lemon curd 2 large eggs 200ml double cream 200ml milk ½ tsp vanilla extract 4 tbsp caster sugar little lemon zest cream or vanilla ice cream, to serve (optional)
Method Butter a 1-litre baking dish that will quite snugly fit the buns. Cut each bun into 3 slices, and sandwich back together with a generous spreading of curd. Arrange buns in the dish.
Whisk egg, cream, milk and remaining curd, then sieve into a jug with the vanilla and 3 tbsp of the sugar. Pour over the buns and stand at room temperature for 30 mins for the custard to soak in.
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Scatter the remaining sugar and lemon zest over the pudding. Bake for 30-40 mins until the top is golden and the custard gently set. Stand for 5 mins, then serve with cream or vanilla ice cream, if you like.
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Slow roasted duck leg with cabbage & gooseberry jam
Serves 4
Shopping List 4 large duck legs a few sprigs of rosemary a few sprigs of thyme Salt & pepper 200g gooseberries 100g demerara Sugar ¼ tsp grain mustard ½ thumb fresh ginger finely chopped 1 savoy cabbage Knob of butter
Pre heat oven to 200˚C/400˚F/GM6.
Place the duck legs in a roasting pan on top of the herbs. Season and roast for 30 minutes. Turn the oven down to 150˚C/300˚F/GM2 and carefully cover with foil. Cook the duck for another 90 minutes basting occasionally. Leave to rest, saving the juices from the tin.
Place the gooseberries and sugar in a pan with 3 tablespoons of water. Slowly bring to the boil, add the ginger, cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes, removing the lid for the last 10 minutes and stirring occasionally. The gooseberries will form a sticky jam. Add the mustard.
Steam or cook the cabbage in boiling salted water for 5 minutes until tender. Drain and toss in the butter.
Serve with the pan juices and creamy mash or roasted potatoes.
Recipe provided by Marc Eyres @ The Countryman, Staverton
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