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'Tis the season to get your own back on those weeds! Nettle soup is excellent, you won't believe it's the same plant if you try it. It can be eaten hot or cold, is filling, nutritious and wonderful! This is from memory, lifted from Hugh F-W's excellent River Cottage book:
Pick about a half a carrier bag of nettle tops. Back in the kitchen, wash and pick over the tops, discarding only the tougher stems as the soup will be liquidised. In a large pan with a fitted lid, saute a large onion which has been finely chopped, with a good big dollop of butter and some olive oil. When the onion is translucent, soft but not browned, lob in the nettle tops and a litre of vegetable or chicken stock. If you want to use potato to thicken the soup, add one medium-sized, diced, now. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20minutes until the nettles are soft. If you didn't use the potato, you can add a good handful of cooked rice or rice cakes at this point. Liquidise, in batches if necessary. Check the seasoning. A good pinch of nutmeg is also a good addition. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or cream.
I'd love to hear recipes and recommendations from anyone else. I have the old 'Food for Free' book which is also brilliant.
Pick about a half a carrier bag of nettle tops. Back in the kitchen, wash and pick over the tops, discarding only the tougher stems as the soup will be liquidised. In a large pan with a fitted lid, saute a large onion which has been finely chopped, with a good big dollop of butter and some olive oil. When the onion is translucent, soft but not browned, lob in the nettle tops and a litre of vegetable or chicken stock. If you want to use potato to thicken the soup, add one medium-sized, diced, now. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15-20minutes until the nettles are soft. If you didn't use the potato, you can add a good handful of cooked rice or rice cakes at this point. Liquidise, in batches if necessary. Check the seasoning. A good pinch of nutmeg is also a good addition. Serve with a dollop of creme fraiche or cream.
I'd love to hear recipes and recommendations from anyone else. I have the old 'Food for Free' book which is also brilliant.
you can make string from nettles too! It's good strong twine, too. The stems have long fibres which you can extract by soaking and then bashing between two rocks (or similar), comb out and leave to dry. Never tried it myself. What a versatile plant!
. They migrate from Africa and look for early cover, and as nettles are usually the first things to spring up, nettle beds are where you're likely to find them. They have a very loud (and annoying, if you're trying to sleep) call but they are poor fliers so they need good cover to protect them from predators. 
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