I was hesitant to even post this as my first blog post because I made this recipe on a lark. It’s only a recipe for one waffle and honestly I wasn’t even sure if it would turn out. It turned out perfect and it was delicious! Don’t you just love when that happens? It’s Spring where I live in Northwestern Illinois. And when Spring arrives I’ve got Stinging Nettles on my mind! Did you sing that last part of that sentence in your head? You know, mimicking that Willie Nelson Song like I did writing it? No? Just me? Okay, moving on.

Every Spring I look forward to foraging some Stinging Nettles over at my parent’s farm. Stinging Nettles are a perennial herb(considered an annoying weed by many!) that pop up every year in the Spring time. You very well could have seen them or have felt their sting, and not even realized you were amongst a nutritious herb. And yes, they really do sting! You’ll want to harvest this herb wearing gloves. Nettles can be found growing in forests, farm fields and along streams. I see them growing abundantly alongside many of the bike paths my husband and I walk on too. Some general foraging habits to keep in mind: Only forage what you know and can identify with certainty! Don’t forage directly alongside bike paths where there’s the possibility of dogs urinating and pooping. Don’t forage in areas that are high traffic. Don’t forage alongside highways. Stick to foraging places you are familiar with; places you know aren’t being sprayed with chemical fertilizers, have permission to be there to forage and for heavens sake don’t be greedy! Only harvest what you know you’ll use and/or need.

Nettles are very rich in vitamins(C, K, A) and minerals( calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc) are anti-inflammatory, and can help calm springtime allergies. They also are a tasty and healthy addition to recipes or tea. What do they taste like? Stinging Nettles taste a bit like spinach. Therefore you can substitute fresh nettles in any recipe that calls for spinach. Also, in my experience when adding them to baked goods, nettles earthy flavor mellows and they taste like whatever other flavors you add to your recipe. Kind of the “tofu” of herbs you might say. Before using the nettles in recipes, you have to get rid of their sting! Unless you like your food to sting you of course. You can do that by boiling them in water for a few minutes and then straining them before you use them. So, why the heck would I want to throw these into a waffle? Because it’s my waffle and I’ll do what I please thank you. In all seriousness, the fresh nettles add a “kick” of nutrients into a typically not so healthy food, they turn the waffle a fun green color and it’s my favorite springtime herb to experiment with.

I hope you’ll give this stinging nettle waffle a try! You could easily make this recipe a vegan one by using any milk alternative and using a plant based butter instead. I fancied up my maple syrup by adding orange blossom water to it. You can find orange blossom water in the international section of your grocery store or online. Or I bet some grated orange zest mixed in would be delicious as well! Remember, make it special, make it fun! Enjoy!

Stinging Nettle Waffle with Orange Blossom Maple Syrup

Makes one belgian waffle

~ 1/2 cup of all purpose flour

~ 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda

~pinch of salt

~ 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar

~ 1/2 cup of loosely packed fresh stinging nettles

~ 1/2 cup of organic milk

~ 1 tablespoon of melted, salted organic butter. Plus more for spreading on top of your waffle.

~ 1 teaspoon of almond extract

~whip cream(optional)

~sprinkles(optional)

Orange Blossom Maple Syrup

~1/2 cup maple syrup

~1/2 teaspoon orange blossom water

First things first, you have to take the sting out of the stinging nettles! Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Then throw in the nettles, allow nettles to boil for 1 minute. Dump boiling water into a colander, catching the now de-stung nettles. Gently squeeze out the excess water and set nettles aside.
Put the flour, baking soda, salt, and sugar into a mixing bowl and gently stir to combine.
Preheat your waffle iron!
Put the boiled nettles into a blender or food processor with the milk and blend until smooth. Your mixture will be speckled with nettle.
Combine the nettle mixture and the almond extract with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Lightly spray both sides of your waffle iron with a cooking oil. Carefully pour the waffle mixture into your waffle maker. Using a spatula, lightly “help” spread the waffle mixture over the iron. Close it up, and follow your particular waffle irons instructions for cooking your waffle. Our particular iron steams like crazy and then when the steam starts to subside, I know the waffle is done! While your waffle is cooking, make your orange blossom maple syrup! All you do is gently warm up your maple syrup and then add your teaspoon of orange water and stir to combine.
Top off your waffle with butter and orange blossom maple syrup, whip cream, sprinkles and enjoy!

Stinging Nettle Waffle for One