Hello & sending well wishes. Seek Lavender declared January ‘Celebrating Nettles Month’. Nettles are so generous – nourisher (inside & out), culinary delight! Nettles dark green indicates strong health and vigor. Vitamins A, C, and K, as well as several B vitamins, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium. Skin loves Nettles which are astringents and great for treating skin issues such as greasy skin, dry, itchy and inflamed skin due to insect bites, chicken pox, and even eczema.
No limits to making Nettles a life companion – Tea, Sweet, Savory, Soap, and more.
Tea – easy (and healthy)…just add water! Nettles are delightful in savory dishes. Incorporate daily with Seek Lavender Nettle Salt. Dry Nettles can be added to many dishes. They have a bit of a spinach-like flavor. Experimenting by adding dry Nettles to your favorite dishes is easy. A little goes a long way! Nettles create unique deserts! Combining Seek Lavender Nettle Wafer Cookies & Seek Lavender Whipped Cream create a delightful Ice Box Cake. Sweet & Savory recipes here.
Seek Lavender Nettle Icebox Cake
Ingredients:
Batch of Seek Lavender Nettle Wafer Cookies (below)
2 cups heavy cream
½ tsp Seek Lavender extract
1 tbsp. powdered sugar
Directions:
Begin by making a batch of Seek Lavender Nettle Wafer Cookies. Cool.
Pour the heavy cream, Seek Lavender Extract and sugar into a large mixing bowl. Mix until the cream is thick and holds its shape well in stiff peaks.
The icebox cake works in a loaf pan for ease or on top of a platter for looks. I typically opt for ease.
To make the cake, lay down a nice layer of cream on the base. Add the cookies one at a time, standing vertically, with around ¼” of cream between them. Once all the cookies are placed, cover everything with the remaining cream. Cover, and place in the refrigerator overnight.
Overnight, the cream softens the cookies creating a cake-like experience. When you eat the icebox cake the following day it will have transformed into a unique dessert filled with nature’s magic.
Seek Lavender Nettle Wafer Cookies
Ingredients:
1 cup Seek Lavender Sugar
1 stick butter (8 tbsp.), cold
¼ tsp Seek Lavender Nettle Salt
1 egg
1 tsp Seek Lavender Extract
¼ tsp baking soda
3 tbsp. milk
2 tbsp. Seek Lavender Nettle powder
Directions:
Mix the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and beat in until it begins to incorporate as small clumps.
In a separate bowl, beat together the egg, milk, and Seek Lavender Extract. Add this to the dry ingredients and beat together until it is incorporated, but not overmixed. Remove the dough to a work surface and knead a few times to ensure that it is fully combined.
Roll the dough into two logs around 2” in diameter. Wrap these in plastic wrap and put them in the freezer overnight (or as long as a month or so).
When it is time to bake the cookies, remove the dough from the freezer and slice it into ¼” thick rounds. Place these on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
Bake the cookies at 350 for around 8-10 minutes, until the edges are just brown.
Allow them to cool fully before use, as they should crisp up nicely.
Feta Nettle Cheese Spread/Ball
The beauty of this recipe is its flexibility to accommodate personal preference. The 8 ounces of cream cheese are a must. However, the remaining ingredients are there to support your personal preferences. We recommend starting with less of each ingredient (stick with 8 ounces of cream cheese) and adding more if desired. This little experiment is a great way to get to know your preferences and to explore each of nature’s gifts (herbs in this case).
Mix and chill:
8 ounces of Cream Cheese
1/2 cup of Feta
1/2 tsp. of onion powder (or fresh; personal preference)
1/2 clove of pressed garlic (or dry; personal preference)
1/4 tsp. of herb salt (Seek Lavender Salt is a lovely Nettle enhancer)
Nettles – start with 1/2 tsp. and increase to taste
Lavender Love*,
-Neil & Mary
*Lavender stands for peace!