salmon-nettle soup with all native ingredients

http://www.permies.com

Heidi Bohan (http://www.heidibohan.com/) author of "People of Cascadia" (http://www.peopleofcascadia.com/) makes a soup out of stinging nettles, salmon, camas, bitterroot, seaweed, ozette potato, lady fern fiddlehead, cow parsnip shoots, horsetail and lomatium (biscuit root). She was loaded up with goodies from the "First Roots Feast" at the warm springs indian reservation.

Heidi shows how she prefers to prepare all of these foods and gives appropriate cautions for those plants that have counterparts that could lead to some confusion at harvest.

Heidi shows some dried stinging nettle that is several years old. And she talks about how she likes to dry stinging nettles.

Heidi mentions how stinging nettles are good for you because it helps to draw toxic gick out of your system.

Music by Jimmy Pardo

Category:

Education

Tags:

• stinging
• nettles
• nettle
• native
• american
• indian
• soup
• cooking
• organic
• permaculture
• green
• sustainability
• eco
• food
• health diet
• how-to

[MrOnionbags]

I like to see people enjoy all the wholesome goodness of these exotic plants, but seriously what use does the Average person have for this?

[paulwheaton12]

@MrOnionbags For one thing, you can walk out your door and probably find nettles easily.

Since nettle season is here (for many states) I'm trying t push up my nettle footage.

Plus, I do like to see all of these other wild foods getting eaten. With knowledge of wild foods comes a huge freedom - once you have the knowledge of how to live in the wild, you go to work each day as a choice, not as an obligation.

[behindthewaterfall]

@MrOnionbags Couple of thoughts:

1. I too think of these plants as "exotic" but in reality they are the exact opposite (if you live in the PNW).  It probably says a lot about our society today that we think of native plants as "exotic".

2. If you grow native plants in your yard, generally speaking they require much less resources and care than non-native plants. In most cases they require NO care once they are established.

3. They provide food and shelter for native species, especially insects.

[DOSphantom]

hmm... I usually just shoot(reactive target) and chop horsetails before they over take the yard, which happens fast.

When it comes to nettles I use those in drinks. Hops are expensive so I forge for things to substitute in my home brew, and in WA there's quite a few things growing in any given urban area.

[n2488]

the Romans brought nettles and rabbits to England to eat or make wine with (not the rabbits) yet no one eats them today they just moan about them

[MacNutz2]

Many of the farmers and other Irish people who survived the Irish potato famines did so with the help of nettle soup and other natural foods that were plentiful but invisible if you don't know what to look for. Prepared correctly natural/wild foods are really good to eat as well as nutritional.

What good is it?? What good is it to learn anything? Ignorance is blis...ters

[ssmayer]

They taste great, really. They are incredible with butter. We see them growing everywhere, they aren't exotic in these parts whatsoever. My Aunt Sylvia (Friday Harbor,) would serve them with mixed with beet greens.

[opcn18]

@permados And what specific toxins are Nettles supposed to be clearing out? That's my question. For someone to have made the claim that they clear toxins surely some one must have some sort of evidence that they clear a specific toxin? Or is the claim just one person after another parroting a false statement?

[permados]

@opcn18

There are lots of things the body could stand to cleanse itself of that we commonly ingest. Pesticide and fertilizer residues come to mind. As well chemical additives and preservatives that appear in our most common packaged foods. A toxin could be anything that negatively influences the healthy functioning of the body. Even things the body needs when ingested in heavy doses would be toxic.

[permados]

Nettles are hardly exotic here in Montana. They tend to grow really well in disturbed landscapes. Plenty of those around.

[IamDemetri00]

Great video! Keep em' coming!

[Breal191]

Umm, gimmie some, salivating.

[vutEwa]

Thanks for sharing Paul! Have you got anyone with recipes or ideas for using the greens of Salvia Hispanica? (Chia).