When talking about the price of food, I believe we have things completely backwards! Instead of going food shopping with a laundry list of foods that you want to buy, it makes much more financial sense to buy the foods that are in season, and then create dishes from those. It makes sense to cook what you have. Where do you get these foods? The farmer’s markets!

Seasonal eating is also a great way to get in touch with the local growers in your area. You might think that there are no farms where you live, but if the farmers markets are any indication, anyone with a few raised beds in the front yard, will have extra veggies to sell on a Saturday morning. In our area ( Central Nebraska, land of the ethanol plant), the rows of tables that are setup at the market all season, are micro farmers, who bake like their great grandmothers did, grow 3 or 4 rows of a postage stamp size garden, and bring a table’s worth of fresh food to sell every week.

If someone was to take a walk along the farmer’s market row, they would find the season’s freshest foods, a few baked items and even some homemade soap. For less than $10.00, (a meal for 1 1/2 people at the local fast food restaurant), a  shopping bag full of the freshest foods could be carried home. This is a lost art, and it is time to remind everyone that there is food to be had, right in their cities and towns! Take those foods that are sold for a few dollars, and use them to feed your family until the next farmers market. Cook simple things, filling and healthy, with food that has been grown by people in your community.

Instead of making a list of fancy meals that require 100 ingredients from the store, why not try to work with what is growing locally, strengthen your community, and save money in the process?

On the farm, we are hyper aware of the changes in the season. Right now, spring is in full swing, and I am out picking all the wild food available on our land.

In the back of the property, the nettles are prolific. They are easy to pick (wearing gloves of course), and simple to dry for my family’s pantry. Fresh greens are welcome after a long winter – even a mild one. Nettles are free and delicious!

A simple way to cook them, is to prepare a saute of nettles and garlic. This makes a lovely side dish, and leftovers  stirred into eggs or blended with cheese to become a filling for ravioli.  For now, we are content to eat nettles as a soup. The spring wind takes quite a bit of energy out of you when working in it all day long. This soup is warm and bright tasting – just right with a fresh slice of homemade bread.

Nettle Soup

1 lb fresh nettle tops

1 gallon of water or broth

3 medium potatoes, cubed

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 medium sweet onion, or 1 inch bundle of wild onions

2 carrots, peeled and sliced

1 Tbsp olive oil

S/P to taste

Fresh herbs; sweet marjoram and thyme work well

Place olive oil in large soup pot over medium low heat. Saute vegetables until almost soft. Remove vegetables, and add water or broth. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add vegetables and nettles back to the simmering liquid. Continue to simmer over low heat, until vegetables cooked through. Add fresh herbs and simmer for 5 minutes more. Serve.