Stingers and the old gal (Ruby)

It's now a bit of a wild food cliché, but have you noticed those tender young nettles lurking under the hedgerows? The leaves are so small and green, hopeful and babyfied. Use them cooked any where you would use greens. Baby veg from the supermarket isn't sold at a premium for any old reason: baby vegetables (and that includes nettles) are sweet and succulent and baby nettles have a beautiful fresh green ferrous taste. They may be a bit scary and stingy but just pop those babies into a steamer or boiling water for 5-10 minutes and you won't regret it.

Many of you have asked for more pictures of Ruby. I've managed to take a few snap shots by sneaking into the auto electrics yard. We hope she is going to be released from the camper van hostage takers on Tuesday but who knows? They haven't contacted us....Easter egg eating, camper van forgetting...um.. auto sparkies! Ooo I'm so huffy they've not contacted us. If you look at the blog slideshow you'll see a few of those snap shots, but for now here's a handful of pictures so you can see what she was like when we bought her from a lovely old man in Dorset.