nettle shortbread

A few ways with Nettle Seeds

Nettle seeds are everywhere now. So pretty, green, abundant, easy to gather and actually really tasty especially when toasted. They are straightforward to identify and once you know them you can collect a little each time you go out for a walk from late June onwards. I will pick lots in the summer and use them throughout the year to scatter over salads and porridge but they can also be elevated into something special like the following recipes. I talk about using nettle seeds a lot on my walks but I sometimes forget how versatile this simple seed is and how many ways I’ve used them! I will continue to use them in new ways forever.

Easiest Nettle Seed (or any seed) Olive Oil Shortbread

This recipe is vegan and makes very good and very easy little cookies. You can also make these well ahead and freeze the block for later use. This makes about 20 depending on how you shape your block. Double it, just in case.

Ingredients

– 2 heaping tablespoons of prepared seeds – nettle, dock, plantain or even just poppy seed, sesame seed, flax seed etc. It’s also nice to include some spices or flavours here too. Fennel or hogweed are excellent but vanilla and lemon are great additions too.

– 170g Plain Flour

– 1/2 Tsp Salt

– 80g Oil – I use half extra virgin olive oil and half neutral

– 40g Sugar plus a little extra for finishing

Instructions

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon. Grab some of it in your hand and if it just holds together enough to form a shape then it’s ready. If it crumbles or feels very dry then add one tablespoon at a time of cold water and mix well before testing again.

2. Divide the dough loosely into two and shape each chunk into a log. I find it is easiest by making this into a square-ish cuboid shape and pressing it against the counter with my hands. Use the paper to assist with getting it smooth and neat. Finally, wrap the paper tightly around it. Transfer to the fridge for half an hour or freeze until needed. These can also be frozen after slicing.

3. To bake – preheat the oven to 160 C. When the dough is sufficiently chilled and firm, slice into slightly less than 1 cm thickness pieces and transfer to a baking tray. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden at the edges.

4. Sprinkle with sugar once they are baked and still warm or allow to cool completely before decorating with icing and even more nettle seeds or sandwich together with blackberry jam.

No knead overnight focaccia

This recipe is based on my very favourite from Ali Stafford and it has been a fail safe recipe for me for years. I have added everything to this bread – wild garlic, powdered nettles, blackberries, rose hips and often lots of cheese. In this instance, it’s a perfect base for some toasted wild seeds.

Ingredients –

– Makes 1 large or 2 small focaccia

– 3 or 4 tablespoons of wild seeds

– 500g Strong flour

– 450g Warm water

– 10g Fine Salt

– 10g Dried Yeast

– Flaky Sea Salt

– 30ml Olive oil plus extra for greasing

1. Add the water and yeast to a large bowl and stir to dissolve. Add the flour and salt and stir with a spoon until well mixed. This will look very wet at this stage but this is key to the good texture of the finished bread so don’t worry. Spread a little olive oil over the top of the dough to stop it drying out, cover the bowl tightly and pop into the fridge overnight or leave at room temperature for a couple of hours until the dough has doubled in size.

2. The next day prepare your trays with parchment with a drizzle of oil. Split the dough in two (or you can leave it in one piece for a thicker bread) and carefully transfer the dough to the tray. Oil your hands and press the dough evenly out across the tray. Leave to rise a second time for around an hour. The dough should look puffy and delicate.

3. Preheat your oven to 220°C. Mix the 30ml oil with 20ml of warm water. Wet your hands and using your fingers push little holes all over the dough. Pour the oil and water mix over the top. It should sit inside the holes and not soak in too fast. Sprinkle over some extra salt and seeds. Pop into the oven for 20 – 25 minutes until golden and risen. Allow to cool on a wrack before slicing.

Za’atar inspired wild sprinkle

This is a recipe without a recipe – just gather your wild seeds and toast them until fragrant. Mix with an equal amount of sumac (Palestinian is best – I love this one from Al’ard!) and then season to taste with salt and thyme. Sprinkle liberally over anything. Above I’ve used it to top some sweet potatoes with a simple tahini yogurt.

Any kind flapjacks (this time with nettle seeds)

Truthfully I rarely make the same flapjack recipe twice, adding honey sometimes, coconut, treacle, puffed rice, tahini etc depending on what I have and then adding wild ingredients as an extra – blackberries, cherry jam, meadow sweet, sorrel icing or even just wild flowers. You can use your own favourite recipe and tweak it with a bit of wild too to reflect the season in a really easy way.

Ingredients –

– 250g Butter (Vegan works too)

– 150g Golden Syrup or honey or maple syrup (I think golden syrup is superior, however)

– 200g Brown Sugar – I often like a combination of light and dark but use whatever you have

– 400g Oats – I prefer the standard porridge oats and not jumbo

– Generous pinch of salt – especially if you’re using vegan butter.

– Couple of tablespoons of toasted nettle seeds

– Jam of choice

1. Preheat the oven to 180/160 fan and line a tray bake tin or roasting tin with parchment.

2. Gently heat all of the ingredients except the seeds and the jam in a large pan and stir until the butter is totally melted and the oats are coated.

3. Transfer two thirds of this mixture into the prepared tray. Bake for 10 minutes or until slightly golden. Spread the jam over the top. Sprinkle the remaining third of oats over the top of the jam. Place back into the oven and bake for a further 10 minutes or until toasted and golden. Finally, sprinkle with the toasted seeds. Allow to cool slightly before slicing.