A few helpful tips…
Good morning everyone, Finally, spring seems to have arrived after teasing us a few times. We saw trillium, avalanche lilies, mountain violets and elk on our hikes this past Monday. And stinging nettles so be aware of them as you ramble. Of course that means it is time for me to share my “made up nettle pesto” recipe. I whipped up a batch last week and it is still pretty delicious. Just make sure to wear rubber gloves while harvesting the nettles. Also, several of you shared a news report from last week about the woman who tried successfully (but eventfully) to retrieve her iPhone from the pit toilet on Mount Walker. She fell in. Head first. And was rescued by the Fire Department. I don’t love my cell phone that much. Here’s the pesto recipe:
1 shopping bag of freshly foraged nettles 1 cup chopped walnuts (But any nut could work. Pine nuts are traditional.) 3 cloves garlic, peeled & coarsely chopped 2/3 of a tub of shredded parmesan cheese (you can use the expensive stuff if you want, I didn't Olive oil Lemon zest Juice of the lemon Sea salt Method to the Madness: Toast the walnuts. Get them good and brown, almost burnt. Set aside. Drop the nettles into boiling water for about 3 minutes, then drain in a colander. Transfer nettles to a food processor and just enough oil to puree. Give it a whirl. Use a spatula to transfer your puree to a large bowl. Add walnuts, garlic & lemon zest. Blend. Now add olive oil until it develops a "shine" like a pesto should. Taste. Add lemon juice and sea salt until it tastes just right. Your done now. Enjoy! And freeze some for later. Pro tip: It tastes REALLY good tossed with fusilli and some shredded rotisserie chicken. And in an omelet. And as a dip. Even spread on bread with a sandwich. And here is what is planned for the coming Monday: Walkers: The Walkers are hiking the Hansville Greenway starting at Buck Lake County Park. They will carpool in Poulsbo at the North Viking Park & Ride (in the very back), departing at 9:30am or meet at the Buck Lake County Park parking lot (address 6959 Buck Lake Rd NE, Hansville, WA 98340 10:00am start. (Go to the trailhead if no one else is at the R&R) Hikers: The Hikers will once again hike the Duckabush River Trail. Plans the past two weeks haven’t quite worked out. Third time will be the charm! They will depart from the Poulsbo Viking Park & Ride at 8am. Mountain Goats: The Goats will hike North Fork of the Skokomish to Camp Pleasant. They will depart from the Bremerton Airport at 8am. Northenders may meet at the Poulsbo Park & Ride at 7:30 (or just hike the Duckabush with the Hikers). Walkers: Hansville Greenway: https://www.kitsapgov.com/parks/Documents/HansvilleGrnwy_TrailMap.pdf Hikers: Duckabush River Trail: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/duckabush-river Mountain Goats: Camp Pleasant: https://www.wta.org/go-hiking/hikes/camp-pleasant
Mark
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