Eating dangerously

Reading blogs sometimes encourages risk-taking behaviour. See, Diana is a bit of a forager, and so when I saw her post about nettle soup, I wasn't surprised. Unlike the boys, who were downright horrified when I announced were going to eat the products of our after school weeding session.

Nettles? Noooo way!

But when they tasted it, they loved it. So much so that there was a quick chorus of "Nettle Soup, the best you ever tasted. None of this soup is going to be wasted." Which will only make sense to you if this book is part of your library.
 
If you've got fussy eaters, I highly recommend it (and the others in the trilogy A Pipkin of Salt and Pumpkin Soup). You can read some excerpts on Helen Cooper's website.

I wrote ‘Delicious’ to enchant the palate of unadventurous eaters with succulent words and aromatic pictures. May the scrumptious colours of vegetables, the riotous food gathering, and the rituals of culinary preparation in the old white cabin, encourage an appetite for exploring new foods, and even in cooking them. I also hope the story will be a comfort to faddy eaters like the Duck, while giving them just a little insight into how it feels if – like the Cat and the Squirrel- you are cooking for someone who is a little bit fussy.

Fairly early on in the process of feeding my offspring, I discovered that the perfect response to the whiny 'ewww, what's that?' suppertime refrain, was to come up with the most unlikely, disgusting names for food. A swift reply of 'boiled bats brains' - a delicacy, don't you know' usually produced enough giggling to get the first forkful of mashed potato past their lips. So perhaps they thought I was kidding when I said nettle soup. But it truly was delicious.

Comments

[The Antidote]

Aaaah, Pumpkin Soup - the best you ever tasted! This was my little girls favourite when she was about two and a half - we read it twice a day every day, always before sleeps.
Now, the Duck perfectly mirrors my little boys fussiness, we often recite huge chunks from this series of books to him, along with Green Eggs and Ham x

[grumpy]

I can remember collecting neetles as a kid for my next door neighbour but beware,sometimes they are good habitats for ants and you can imagine how quickly they can colonize a kitchen!

[Alexis]

I'll have to track down that book--my kids will only eat pasta and jelly sandwiches these days!

[monica]

My grandma used to make nettle and thistle ravioli...

I know. Weird, but delicious. And can you believe that nobody has her recipe????

[Pebbledash]

I might just have to get that book out of the library, looks great fun! And woo hoo to the boys for eating nettle soup (and not spitting it out!).

[Pebbledash]

Um, this isn't an April Fool....!!

[Gina]

I'm with pebbledash. Nettle soup...delicious? You won't be rolling on the floor picturing our sour faces will you? :)
I love veggie soups and I'm willing to try anything once so nettle soup in the near future it will be.

[janet clare]

I too have fed my boys nettles, but with less success. I made soup and risotto, and I loved both actually. I may have to go and get some.

[kristina]

We read Pumpkin Soup with the Rainbows during our October pumpkin theme month. Unfortunately, we couldn't heat any soup in the church hall, so we served pumpkin bread instead. Most of the girls refused to try it--until Sue very cleverly said it was 'pumpkin cake'--then we had girls asking for seconds and thirds! K x

[Jodie from the team at cherrymenlove.com]

I have never tried nettle soup before and it actually sounds really good. Thanks for sharing... x

[dottycookie]

Re the funny food names - it's that boy-girl thing again isn't it? If I told my two they had bat brains for dinner I think they would burst into tears, poor delicate little flowers that they are ;-)

[suzie sews]

brave indeed.... mmmm might have to look this book out....

[Sal]

We know and love this book too! Never made nettle soup though...although I do drink nettle tea occasionally; had one this morning in fact: it's supposed to be a good detox! Happy Spring detoxing! x

I love this book too! Mr P was so intrigued by your posting and loved the illustrations that I got Pumpkin Soup off the bookshelf and he read it through - twice. And he's almost 30! x

PS: Thanks for your encouraging comment last night - it made me feel much better. x

[Michelle]

I love nettle soup! But nettle risotto is my fave. How lucky to get your kids to eat it. I might serve bats brains for supper tomorrow, thanks for the tip!

[Lucy Locket-Pocket]

It sounds like a huge success! I'll have to look out for that book too! Lucyx

[Gill]

They are F+T's favourite books and we have read them over and over. We still have them even tho they are older as they are now 'memory books'!
Haven't seen the recipe book before so will go and have a look.
G
xx

[Rebecca]

This reminds me of the story of my brother in-law who would only eat horse meat, never liver. When dining at a friends house he was concerned to hear that they were having liver but on seeing his plate arrive in front of him he breathed a sigh of relief and said "hurrah, horse meat". Apparently the children of his hosts never ate liver again.

I've been meaning to try making nettle soup forever, you have inspired me to have a go.

[Megan]

Nettle soup - now that's cool. If I ever find me any nettles, I will be sure to give it a try.

[Alice C]

The next step is cheese wrapped in nettles - you could make a fortune selling it to smart delicatessens.

[frances]

Nettle soup--I want to try this! More to the point, I want to send my boys out nettle hunting and have them make the soup--that seems to be the best way to ensure they'll actually like something!

frances

[melissa]

i have bad memories of picking a basketful of stinging nettle as a child. not fun. but i think i'd like to try this soup- nettles are supposed to be really good for you...

[alice]

That is such a fun idea!

I find that nettles are really easy to grow too ;)

[Kitty]

I am a huge fan of Nettle Tea - have you tried it? Add a little honey to taste, mmmmmmm! Well done for getting your little ones to eat it - nettles are FULL of goodness. x

[Julia]

Well done for getting them to eat their weeds... I always loved reading that Helen Cooper book, first to and then with my children. Gloriously detailed pictures.

[Gina]

I MUST try this one. I noted down the recipe after reading Diana's blog last week but I've not done my weeding yet!

[Thimbleina]

You know I was only thinking about trying out nettle soup just yesterday, I saw a recipe for it with garlic.

I must also try that tactic of giving things revolting names to see whether it works on my two with the 'what's that - yeugh!!' expression they like to use - honestly my cooking aint that bad

[lazylol]

I have heard of nettle soup but have yet to try it.

[Bev]

I have always wanted to try nettle soup!
Where did you find the recipe?

[Kate]

Pumpkin Soup was a big favourite when DD1 was small - yes, that enormous, grownup(ish) longhaired girl was small once! - didn't know there were others of that ilk - we also adored The Baby Who Wouldn't Go to Bed...