— from Susan Shannon —
Nettles! Now is good time to love the Island-and let it love you!
A great antidote to the anxiety, fear and stress caused by the threat of COVID-19 and the run-away media coverage, is to go out and pick nettles! Not motivated by of fear, or scarcity, but from abundance and natural sustenance!
Feeling the abundance of our island is grounding, reassuring, beautiful and joyful. Loving “the rock” is even easier these days with fewer people out and less traffic. Its easier to hear the ancient wisdom of Orcas speak to you, calm you, reassure you. It’ll be OK.
There is a wealth of info available online about nettles. Wear your rubber gloves, bring a grocery bag and a pair of scissors and go explore. You might even have some growing on your own property. I know it isn’t the same here as it was 40 years ago — back then I cultivated a thicket of nettles behind the Mt. Baker Cemetery-YUM. So I suppose we must be smart and respectful where we pick them,as not everything is public. But still. Nettles everywhere! You’ll find some!
They are perfect for eating right now, and if you find a patch you like, you can begin to cultivate it. Pinch the stem a few leaves down –like basil, the plant will continue to offer more leaves versus bolting. The sting disappears after steaming them for a few minutes. From there, you can cut up, blend into a pesto,or just about anything you would normally do with greens. I had some in miso soup with udon noodles the other night, and am making pesto today, some to freeze and some to eat.
Other ripe and ready natural things to eat right now are young dandelion leaves, and just emerging, fiddleheads. Fiddleheads are great stir-fried. There is so much more ahead!
Focusing on our natural beauty and abundance here is a great antidote for the news, the unknowns, the unprecedented feelings, the fears. Even if you don’t like nettles, or foraging, it is a great time to soak in the beauty of our promised spring. And while you are at it, perhaps send a few prayers out that all beings have a moment of rest and respite from fear and anxiety.
Wishing calm, peace, safety and protection,
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I have a field full of nettles, way more than I can eat. If you want to pick as many as you can use, go down Blanchard Rd, and turn right where you see a sign saying Star. It’s just past Timber Lane. The nettles are obviously on the right. Help your selves.
Yay, NETTLES!AZ doesn’t have ’em; they must need rain.