Cakes & Bakes: Goats cheese and nettle scones

Goats cheese and nettle scones | H is for Home

I’ve made a few different things in the past with stinging nettles; pesto, soup and bread. This week, I made some goats cheese and nettle scones.

I’ve been eyeing up all the nettle patches in our garden and around the village here where we live. I’ve made a point of not clearing it from around the garden because I know I was going to put it to good use.

Flour in a large metal sieve | H is for Home Rinsed nettle tips in a metal colander | H is for Home

In the past week, much of it is just about to come into flower, so time is running out for foraging the tasty stinging tips. I donned a pair of gardening gloves and, with a zip-lock bag at the ready, got to work picking off the young, hairy green leaves.

Chopped nettle tips, natural yoghurt and cubed goats cheese | H is for Home

If you set of on a wild nettle hunt, remember, only pick the leaves that are over two foot high; dogs passing by enjoy cocking their leg and giving them a shower! Pick them like you’d pick tea leaves, only the growing tip and top pair of leaves… and don’t forget your gloves! When you get them home, put them in a colander and give them a quick rinse under a cold tap, tossing every couple of seconds.

Goats cheese and nettle scone dough | H is for Home

The only pair of kitchen gloves I have are covered in shoe polish – I didn’t want to use them to bring the scone dough together. I had to handle the stinging nettle with a couple of dough scrapers… not ideal!

Brushing scone tops with eggwash | H is for Home

If you don’t have goats cheese, most hard cheeses make good alternatives; cheddar, red Leicester, Parmesan etc. Similarly, if you don’t have any natural yoghurt, you can use buttermilk or sour cream. The recipe is very flexible.

Goats cheese and nettle scones cooling on a metal rack | H is for Home

They were really delicious; the flavours of the goats cheese and nettle work really well together. Slice in half while still warm and give each side a generous swipe of butter… lovely!

Like my recipe? Click here to save it to Pinterest!

Goats cheese and nettle scones recipe | H is for Home #baking #cheesescones #cookery #cooking #forage #foraging #nettles #recipe #savoury #scones #scones #stingingnettle #stingingnettles
Goats cheese and nettle scones
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Prep Time
15 min
Cook Time
20 min
Ingredients
  1. 500g self-raising flour
  2. ½tsp salt
  3. 1tsp cream of tartar
  4. 50g cold butter, cubed
  5. 300ml natural yoghurt
  6. 125g goats cheese, cut into ½cm cubes
  7. 20g nettle tips, chopped
  8. 1 egg, beatenGoats cheese and nettle scones ingredients
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Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 220ºC/425ºF/Gas mark 7
  2. Grease or line a baking sheet with baking/parchment paper
  3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the flour, salt and cream of tartar
  4. Add the butter and rub together using your fingertips until you get a fine breadcrumb consistency
  5. Stir in the cubed goats cheese and chopped nettles
  6. Make a well in the centre and pour in the yoghurt
  7. Bring the dough together with your (gloved) hands, being careful not to knead or the dough will become tough
  8. Dust a work surface with flour and press the dough out to the thickness of about 2cm/1in
  9. Cut out the scones using a circular cutter and place onto the prepared tray
  10. Bring the offcuts together gently, again being careful not to knead and cut out as many circles as possible until there's no dough remaining
  11. Brush the tops with the beaten egg and bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden and well risen
  12. Allow to cool for a few minutes on a wire rack
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Nettle pesto

Home-made nettle pesto | H is for Home

The nettle patches around here are in fine form at the moment. For the past week or so, I’ve been telling myself off for not carrying gardening gloves and a large plastic bag when I go for a dog walk. Finally, I remembered to do it yesterday and picked myself a bagful of bright green, vibrant nettle tips.

Freshly picked nettle tips |H is for Home

I’ve previously shared recipes for nettle soup and nettle loaf. This time, I’m making a batch of nettle pesto.

Grated Parmesan | H is for Home

The nettles take the place of basil and I’ve replaced the more traditional pine nuts with walnuts.

Nettle pesto ingredients in a food processor bowl | H is for Home

The taste and smell is much earthier than traditional pesto but can be used in exactly the same way. It’s a very versatile store cupboard ingredient. I like it with an extra glug of olive oil and mixed through plain spaghetti then finished with a spoonful of grated Parmesan. I also like adding a few small dollops of pesto to the top of a pizza just before putting into in the oven.

Justin thinks it’s great with roasted or pan fried meats too – and has just made chicken breast wrapped in smoked ham and filled with nettle pesto butter for this evening’s meal.

Home-made nettle pesto | H is for Home

Nettle pesto

Course Condiment
Cuisine British, Italian

Ingredients
  

  • Carrier bag-full of nettle tips
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 50 g/2oz Parmesan
  • 75 g2½oz walnuts
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp ground black pepper
  • 5-8 tbsp olive oil

Instructions
 

  • Bring a saucepan of water to the boil - enough water to be able to submerge all the nettles
  • Put a large colander into the kitchen sink
  • Blanch the nettles for about 30 seconds, using a wooden spoon to push the leaves down into the water
  • Carefully pour the nettles into the colander in the sink and allow all the water to drain away. Allow to cool fully
  • Finely slice the garlic and grate the Parmesan
  • Put all the ingredients into a food processor and pulse for about a minute
  • Decant into sterilised glass jars
Nettle pesto ingredients
Keyword forage, nettles, pesto

Cakes & Bakes: Nettle loaf

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home-made nettle loaf

Foraging season is upon us again. A fortnight ago I made a batch of wild garlic butter. This week, the stinging nettles are just right for picking. We had a patch in a corner of our allotment that was looking lush and healthy. It’s now had a little pruning session – and is the star ingredient in a nettle loaf.

basic bread dough

Don’t forget, if you’re going to try this recipe, take a pair of gloves and only pick the tips and first two leaves – much like tea-picking, I reckon!

nettle leaves lining a banneton

The nettles make for a rustic, flavoursome and attractive loaf.

bread dough proving and nettle leaves lining a banneton

I’ve used a basic white loaf recipe; but a half & half mixture of white and wholemeal will enhance the earthy, nutty flavour of the nettles. And nettles are SO good for you!

kneading nettle leaves into dough wearing kitchen gloves

Click here to pin this nettle loaf recipe for later!

home-made nettle loaf

Nettle loaf

Cook Time 35 minutes
Course Bread
Cuisine British

Ingredients
  

  • 5 g/⅙oz active dried yeast
  • 300 ml/10.5 fl oz warm water
  • 500 g/18oz plain flour
  • 10 g/⅓oz salt
  • handful of nettle leaves

Instructions
 

  • Add the yeast to the water and stir to remove any lumps. Add a teaspoon of sugar (optional) to help it along if the yeast is a bit old. Set aside for 15 minutes until it forms a foam
  • In a colander, rinse & drain the nettle leaves removing any thick stalks. Set aside 4 or 5 of the leaves before roughly ripping the remainder
  • Add the flour to a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle
  • Pour the yeast liquid into the well in the flour
  • Bring the flour into the centre and combine
  • Add the salt to the dough and knead to form a ball
  • On a lightly floured work surface, knead the dough for 10-15 minutes
  • Put the dough back into the bowl, cover with clingfilm and allow to rise in a warm place until doubled in size (about an hour)
  • Lay the reserved nettle leaves, smooth side down, into a well-floured banneton if you have one. If not, lay them into a well-greased loaf tin
  • Once proved, empty the dough out on to a lightly floured work surface and knead in the nettles (this is best done wearing a pair of clean rubber gloves)
  • Form the dough into a ball and place into the banneton (or oblong if using a loaf tin)
  • Put the banneton/loaf tin into the large mixing bowl and cover with clingfilm and leave to prove, again until doubled in size, in a warm place
  • Preheat the oven to 240ºC/465ºF/Gas mark 9, put an empty roasting dish on the bottom shelf of the oven and fill a cup with cold water and set aside
  • Once the loaf has risen, if using a banneton, grease a baking sheet and gently decant the loaf on to it, trying not to knock any air out of it
  • Quickly & carefully pour the cup of water into the roasting dish before putting the loaf into the oven
  • After 10 minutes, turn the oven down to 200ºC/ 400ºF/Gas mark 6
  • Bake for a further 20-25 minutes before taking it out of the oven
  • Leave to cool on a wire rack for at least half an hour before use
Nettle loaf ingredients
Keyword boule, bread, loaf, nettles

Nettle soup

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Vintage Young Pontesa bowl with home-made nettle soup | H is for Home

Whilst we were out walking this Easter weekend we came across a patch of lovely young stinging nettles…

Vintage glazed pottery mixing bowl full of nettle leaves | H is for Home

…ideal for making our first nettle soup of the year. Fortunately, we had the forethought to take some gardening gloves and a carrier bag with us.

Vintage bowl full of nettle soup with old wooden spoon | H is for Home

It was delicious with a couple of slices of home-made crusty bread! Not only is it tasty, nettles are really good for you.

Vintage mixing bowl full of nettle soup with a splash of cream | H is for Home

Here’s our simple recipe if you’d like to try it out for yourself:

Vintage Young Pontesa bowl with home-made nettle soup

Nettle soup

Course Soup
Cuisine British

Ingredients
  

  • 1 medium onion
  • 2 sticks celery
  • 1 small leek
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 large knob butter
  • 1 vegetable stock cube
  • 4 pts water
  • 4 medium potatoes peeled & chopped
  • large bowl/standard-sized plastic carrier bag-full of nettle leaves only use tips & young leaves

Instructions
 

  • Roughly chop onion, celery & leek
  • Put in large, thick-bottomed saucepan
  • Sweat over gentle heat in vegetable oil & butter for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally
  • Add water & potatoes to the saucepan
  • Crumble stock cube into saucepan
  • Bring to the boil & simmer for ½ hour
  • Add nettle leaves & simmer for a further 20 minutes
  • Blend & pass through a sieve
  • Season with salt & black pepper to taste
  • Add a splash of cream to finish (optional)
Keyword nettles, soup