They are considered weeds. Their fine prickles are enough to make one cry really.

But the intrigue of using a bunch of stinging nettles I saw at the market today was so intense, that I claimed victory over the sting.

I was toying with nettle tart or risotto as a vehicle to let the nettle have it’s say, and intense negative reaction to the suggestion of risotto left me with nettle tart. It could also have been a soup, but soup sucks according to 1/2 the household.

Along side the cleaned, blanched* and chopped nettles, we had eggs, some left over ricotta cheese and some creamy fetta that I could marry together with some spring onion  and smoked garlic, baked in a puff pastry tart case.

$8.00 allowed for a tart that was packed with flavour and nutrients. It was rustic and flavoursome.

I think I need to go and do some backyard weeding as it has been confirmed, there are tart ingredients growing freely out there!
*blanching the nettles removes their fine prickles.