Wild Green Recipes: Stinging Nettle Pizza

Urban foraging was once the realm of hard-core locavores. Not anymore. Some farmers' markets now offer wild greens (a.k.a. edible weeds) and foraging groups abound. If you plan to forage for your wild greens, make sure you're picking what you think you're picking, as many edible weeds have toxic look-alikes.

This week, we'll show you how to prepare your wild greens.

Recipe #2: Stinging Nettle Pizza

The leaves of this plant are the bane of every hiker. You'll definitely want to wear rubber gloves while picking and cleaning them. It's well worth it though; in addition to being packed with iron and vitamin C, there's some evidence that there may be medical uses for stinging nettle. Try pairing this pizza with an eco-friendly beer.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

A large bunch of stinging nettles

1 head garlic, roasted

½ cup wild mushrooms, cleaned and dried

1 cup grated mozzarella, fontina, or gouda (we suggest one of these sustainable cheeses)

½ lb refrigerated pizza dough.

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400°F.

Prepare a large bowl with ice water. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wearing gloves, add the nettles and cook until wilted but still bright green (about 3 minutes). Drain the nettles and transfer to the ice water to cool. Drain well. Squeeze the excess water out with your hands, and roughly chop the cooked nettles.

Roll out the pizza dough so that it fits on the cookie sheet or pizza pan. In a bowl, smash the roasted garlic cloves with a fork, and coat the top of the pizza dough with the garlic paste. Sprinkle on the cheese of your choice. Arrange the nettles, garlic cloves, and mushrooms on top. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the crust is lightly browned and the cheese melted. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Read more: Want to start your meal with a healthy salad? Get the recipe for a carrot and date quinoa salad.

--By Laura Hayden / image courtesy of iStock/Robinmaby

Laura Hayden is an editorial intern at SIERRA Magazine. She is a rising senior at Mount Holyoke College, where she is pursuing a major in Environmental Studies, and a minor in Journalism. She has a passion for all things pertaining to growing (and eating) food, and renewable energy.