Nettle and Ricotta Frittata

I recently made two recipes from Deborah Madison’s Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers’ Markets. I am not sure I entirely grok the organizing concept for this book. Surely every cookbook is a farmers’ market cookbook if you get your ingredients from your farmers’ market, but since this is a book of recipes by Deborah Madison, and I since would follow Deborah Madison into the mouth of a live volcano, I am willing to set aside any quibbles. There are many pretty pictures too. The previous night I had read a recipe for nettle frittata with green garlic and Sheep’s milk ricotta. I have long wanted to try a recipe for fresh nettles, having so far only made nettle tea, but somehow, I never seemed to find any when I wanted them. And then, the next day, there they were, providentially beside some sheep’s milk ricotta at the next stand.

As gingerly as I tried to handle my bunch of nettles before cooking them, I did get one small burn, but really, nothing to complain about. Once cooked, the nettles will not sting. The flavor of cooked nettles is very different from other greens. They are not bitter, but I would not say they are sweet or mild, either. They are sort of earthy and mineral. I will certainly try them again when I get a chance.

Nettle and Ricotta Frittata (adapted from Local Flavors by Deborah Madison)

1 bunch stinging nettles (my bunch was about ¾ pound)

1 small onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, sliced

olive oil (be liberal)

8 eggs

½ cup grated Romano (I used aged oldwick sheep cheese)

½ cup sheep’s milk ricotta or other ricotta

salt, pepper and paprika to taste

Wear gloves or some other kind of protection while handling raw nettles. Blanch the nettles in boiling water for about two minutes. Allow them to drain, pull the leaves off the stems, and chop the leaves.

Heat oil in a skillet and cook the onions and garlic over low heat until soft and fragrant. Add the chopped nettles and cook a few minutes more. Allow the vegetables to cool slightly. Beat the eggs and season with salt, pepper, and paprika. Stir in the nettles and cheeses, leaving the batter streaky. Heat some more oil in the skillet and pour in the nettle-egg mixture. When the bottom is set, place the pan under the broiler to cook the top. You can also bake the frittata at 375 for about 35 minutes.

The other recipe I made from this book was this Lebanese soup of favas, herbs, and string beans, also highly recommended.

A roundup of other dangerous but delicious vegetables is to be found at Sweetnicks.

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