The Sweet Taste of Spring - Stinging Nettle, Sweet Potato, and Turkey Pot Pie

[Candi Huber]

Today was an amazing day with the family. In York at the base of second hill near Mount Agamanticus, we took a hike in search of Spice Bush, Usnea, Burdock, and Wild Leeks . The Spice Bush, the only one we know of, was just starting to flower. Old Man's Beard was being allusive in the deep dark woods. But that didn't dampen our spirits. As we moved on, we found what we thought might be a large patch of Wild Leeks but were unable to get one out without breaking it. We didn't want to disturb more plants so we decided to just head back up with a shovel some time soon.

After that little hike, we headed went up to the top of Mount Aggie to take in the view of the ocean.

With tired and hungry kids, we headed home without anything to show for our efforts. After lunch, we decided to take another shot at finding Burdock or Usnea. Once again, the two items we wanted we not in abundance but we did find a delightful spot of young nettle coming up. We took some home for dinner and this is what I made...

Stinging Nettle, Sweet Potato, and Turkey Pot Pie

Ingredients:
2 small sweet potatoes
1 medium onion (chopped)
3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 T Olive Oil
1-2 cups fresh stinging nettle (rinsed and finely chopped)
1-2 cups turkey (or none if your vegetarian)
2 cups Turkey Broth or Vegetable Broth
2 T - Arrowroot powder mixed in 1/4 cup water.
Salt, Pepper, and Spices to taste
2- 9" pie crusts (homemade or otherwise)

To Make:
Put one 9" pie crust in pie pan - put aside to cook filling.
Saute the sweet potatoes in olive oil for about 5 minutes (or until sweet potatoes start to soften).
Add the onions and cook until translucent.
Add the garlic, nettle, shredded turkey, and broth.
Bring to a boil and then simmer 4 minutes.
Add the arrowroot powder mixture and cook until it begins to thicken.
Turn off the heat, and add the mixture to your pie crust.
Add the top pie crust, seal, and bake at 375 degrees until the pie top gets brown and delicious.
Let cool, cut, eat, and ENJOY!

I wish I had a photo of this scrumptious dish but I can tell you that it tasted awesome. My youngest and most picky son ate two servings and he hates turkey pot pie. The nettles in here were yummy and no one complained or turned their noses up. Even though when they saw the onions and nettle going in they had reservations about whether they'd like the combination. In the end, the blend of flavors in the filling was so awesome, it wouldn't need to be turned into a pie. The filling could be a meal of it's own with rice, with additional broth to make a soup, or simply eaten plain. Delish!

[Feralhuman]

Sounds like a great day to me. I might try the pie too, my nettles are still a bit too small to start harvesting but I look forward to it.