Do you know that you can make food out of weeds? That is absolutely true, nettle and dandelions are very common weeds and I don´t like them in the garden. Why I decided to prepare nettle and dandelion omelette?
Have you tried Nettle and Dandelion Omelette? It is a new food experiment for me and actually tastes good. I would say, the omelette is always the safest way to use the greens for the first time.
What is nettle or nokkonen in local language?
I never knew this until I lived in Finland and experienced the itchiness in the area that touched this weeds. It was so itchy and painful at the same time that takes time to disappear before the red rushes come. Why? Because this weed is covered with stinging hairs that cause irritation to skin that touches it. I keep away from it. I usually removed it away in our garden when it is still very small because it is not yet itchy when it is young. Still, it grows every year.
How about dandelion or voikukka in local language?
This one I do like when in full bloom in the field. I like to see a field covered with very beautiful yellow flowers during summer time. It is a different story in our garden. I don´t like it in the garden. It is impossible to get rid of it without proper planning and dandelions can really occupy the whole yard. There are products in the shop to get rid of these weeds, like poisoning them. I will maybe someday use those but not when I have small kids.
I never thought the day like now will come that I will be eating nettle and dandelion, a common weed. Actually, I read before somewhere which I don´t remember exactly where if you don’t like this natural weed you can try eating it. I was laughing then and I was sure I will never do that.
When was the turning point that I decided to eat these weeds?
The week when we attended the Knives Festival. There was a stall that sells different kinds of natural foods. There was tea or powdered weeds and dandelion jelly. I have tasted the dandelion jelly and it was really good. I think I will make my own version of that someday. I also learned that nettle can be eaten the same way as the spinach.
So then I remembered my aunt actually mentioned a few years ago that she tried eating nettle too. I never had the courage before to do the same but now why not? Well, then I would like to try too. I started looking for the nettle in our yard, those that are still young and not yet too many stinging hairs around the leaves. A
I thought, what if I will get food poison from it because it is my first time to make it. Is there a special way how to prepare it, like you know some specific mushrooms. Well, I guess not really, as you can see here I am. Still writing this blog and still alive. (Seriously, I am so nervous that I thought of comparing to mushrooms, sounds funny now though).
Okay, so what’s my recipe? Here is it.
Dandelion and Nettle Omelette Recipe
- 3 eggs
- 2 tbsp fresh milk
- salt&black pepper
- 6 dandelion leaves sliced
- 1 big onion
- 100g young nettle leaves
- oil or butter
Procedure:
- Place a small pan over medium heat
- Saute the onion in oil or butter until soft
- Add the dandelions and nettle leaves. When soft, set aside
- Beat the egg mixed with fresh milk, salt and pepper
- Add butter in a small pan
- Pour the egg mixture to the pan
- Add the cooked greens on top of the egg
- Turn the egg slowly.
- Serve
Note! I was too excited and nervous when making this that I didn’t wait for the egg to be a little ready before putting the greens. It broke the structure and the final result looks like a scrambled egg. Next time I know better.
Half of the family eat or tasted the nettle and dandelion omelette. I have to look around the garden next time, during early summer for the young nettle and maybe prepare for other recipe.