The unseasonably warm weather has brought about changes on the farm that we normally do not see until April. The grass in the lawn has not only greened, it's ready for a mow. Leaves have developed on Honeysuckle and other bush-type plants in the woods. The elm trees have grown their leaves. Our Nanking Cherry bushes are blooming. Mosquitos have been attacking the kids whenever they go down to the creek. Red Wing Blackbirds and Robins appeared a couple of weeks ago and are now looking completely at home as they go about building their nests.
Yesterday was the first day of Spring. It began for me when Grace came in from the barn with a large smile on her face and something hidden behind her back. "Surprise!" she shouted and held out the egg basket. Two fresh eggs were inside. Grace would find a third to add to them later in the afternoon. It's amazing that our chickens would come out of their winter egg-laying dormancy and begin doing their business again on the first day of Spring. The girls have impeccable timing. Yeah, pun intended.
Yesterday afternoon I was assessing the state of the garden and came upon a patch of Stinging Nettles. The tallest of them was about six inches long. I've never seen nettles so far along this time of year. The discovery of the eggs combined with the appearance of the nettles put me in the mood to forage for dinner. I started on our hill near the Hickory Grove. I only found a half a dozen small patches of nettles, and they were smaller than the ones I had found in the garden. I then went to my favorite spot for nettle picking: the barn's foundation. In the best spot I found nettles with stems that were nearly a foot long.
I decided to try them in a quiche. After washing them and cutting the leaves from the stems, I blanched the the leaves for a few minutes. I do this to kill off any creepy crawlies that may have come along for the ride. Heating Stinging Nettles in any way also removes the oils that cause them to sting when touched. I saved the broth and will either use it to make tea or Stinging Nettle and Fiddlehead soup.
After they cooled down I poured them into the egg/sour cream/softened cream cheese mixture that I had prepared. I added my favorite seasonings (which almost always includes garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and chicken soup base) and stuck it in a 310 degree oven. I pick 310 degrees because I find the traditional 300 or 325 degree cooking temperature to be too boring. When the edges were just beginning to brown I added shredded cheddar cheese and voila! Stinging Nettle Quiche.
I have to admit, I done good on this one. I was surprised at how well the flavor of the nettles and the eggs complimented one another. It also received rave reviews from the family, which is always a good thing.
Yesterday was the first day of Spring. It began for me when Grace came in from the barn with a large smile on her face and something hidden behind her back. "Surprise!" she shouted and held out the egg basket. Two fresh eggs were inside. Grace would find a third to add to them later in the afternoon. It's amazing that our chickens would come out of their winter egg-laying dormancy and begin doing their business again on the first day of Spring. The girls have impeccable timing. Yeah, pun intended.
Yesterday afternoon I was assessing the state of the garden and came upon a patch of Stinging Nettles. The tallest of them was about six inches long. I've never seen nettles so far along this time of year. The discovery of the eggs combined with the appearance of the nettles put me in the mood to forage for dinner. I started on our hill near the Hickory Grove. I only found a half a dozen small patches of nettles, and they were smaller than the ones I had found in the garden. I then went to my favorite spot for nettle picking: the barn's foundation. In the best spot I found nettles with stems that were nearly a foot long.
I decided to try them in a quiche. After washing them and cutting the leaves from the stems, I blanched the the leaves for a few minutes. I do this to kill off any creepy crawlies that may have come along for the ride. Heating Stinging Nettles in any way also removes the oils that cause them to sting when touched. I saved the broth and will either use it to make tea or Stinging Nettle and Fiddlehead soup.
After they cooled down I poured them into the egg/sour cream/softened cream cheese mixture that I had prepared. I added my favorite seasonings (which almost always includes garlic powder, onion powder, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, and chicken soup base) and stuck it in a 310 degree oven. I pick 310 degrees because I find the traditional 300 or 325 degree cooking temperature to be too boring. When the edges were just beginning to brown I added shredded cheddar cheese and voila! Stinging Nettle Quiche.
I have to admit, I done good on this one. I was surprised at how well the flavor of the nettles and the eggs complimented one another. It also received rave reviews from the family, which is always a good thing.
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