#rocket salad

There is something quite special about foraging in your own garden, (carefully) picking fresh nettles and making these beautifully green Nettle and Herb Pancakes for breakfast! A soothing way to start the day (and week), I reckon. Happy Monday!

Ingredients (makes 8):

1 cup freshly picked nettles (wearing gloves) and thoroughly washed under cold water (wearing rubber gloves!)

1 cup rocket or mesclun, rinsed

6 large fresh basil leaves

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/4 cup plain flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

2 large eggs

1 tablespoon olive oil

In a blender, combine nettles, rocket, basil leaves and buttermilk. Whizz until smooth and perfectly blended; set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt and black pepper. Give a good stir. Dig a well in the middle and break in the eggs. Whisk, gradually adding nettle-buttermilk mixture until well-combined. Cover with a tea towel, and leave to rest, at least an hour.

Heat a little of the olive oil in a large, flat, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.

Spoon as many ladles of nettle pancake batter as you can in the skillet, spacing them a little as they will grow. When bubble start forming on the edges of the pancakes, flip pancakes on the other side. Cook, a couple of minutes, then transfer to serving plate keeping them warm. Repeat, adding a little olive oil to the pan between each batch, until you have eight beautiful pancakes!