[Sca-cooks] Nettles (was viking cook book), rutabegas, mangetout

[Linda M. Kalb]

At 10:39 AM 9/25/01, you wrote:
>I have to contradict you.  I am originally from the UK although now living =
>in the US.  I have eaten nettles.  Nettles are edible but only when they ar=
>e young.  I have harvested them in spring when the plants are less than 4" =
>high.  Once you cut them down to the ground they resprout and you can cut t=
>hem over and over again.  They are not eaten as a stem vegetable, more as a=
>  leaf vegetable.  The most widely available substitute is actually spinach.=
>   Once you cook the nettles they loose their stinging property and cook way=
>  down (start off with a big bag of greens, end up with enough to feed 4 peo=
>ple).
>Helewyse

The picture of nettle soup in the Viking Cookbook does indeed look like
it's made with a leaf vegetable, somewhat smaller than spinach.

Re. the previous email about what swedes are called in various
countries:  Yes, it was an American asking (me!).  So I would know them as
rutabegas.  Thank you very much!

The other unfamiliar vegetable name I couldn't quite remember was
mangetout.  Does anyone know what that is and what it looks like?

Thanks again,

Inga/Linda