Hello!

Have you guys tried the henbit and dead nettle that Mark & Gina brought to market last week (check out our Instagram account for a side by side picture)? They are both considered “weeds” and often treated as such but given they are nutrient dense and medicinal, we think they deserve a place at your table.

I didn’t have any experience with either plant so I started by trying them raw. I found dead nettle to be a bit more interesting but both have an earthy flavor with hints of celery, parsley and a bit of bitterness. Try them for yourself – you might taste something much different!

You can definitely toss either in a salad, wrap or smoothie but I was looking for something to add to a bean stew I made today and came up with the recipe below. Pistou is just a fancy word for pesto without nuts. It is typically made with basil, similar to pesto, but I used henbit and dead nettle in its place. It packs a lot of flavor so a little goes a long way! Use it with anything rich – stews, fried food, cheese.

Give it a try and let us know what you think!

Henbit & Dead Nettle Pistou
makes 1/2 cup

Recipe notes: 1) I purchased a pre-shredded, extra aged cheese from Sequatchie Cove Creamery last week and used it in place of Parmesan and it turned out great – play around and try different cheeses; 2) I started the recipe using a mortar and pestle (as shown in the picture) but I didn’t have the patience so I transferred everything to a food processor.

Ingredients:

• 2 small or 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 cup very loosely packed henbit leaves
• 1 cup very loosely packed dead nettle leaves
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan or other aged cheese of choice (see note)

Directions:

• In a small food processor, add the garlic, henbit, dead nettle and oil. Process until mostly pureed but with a little texture left. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.