Stinging Nettle Eggplant Parmesan

I have spent the past few days updating my Wild Foods Cookbook. The new ebook will be at least tripled in size with the addition of new recipes as well as sections for each plant on harvesting and identification tips.

Here's a sneak peak of one of our favorite recipes.

Stinging Nettle Eggplant Parmesan
This is a relaxed recipe that can be varied in many ways. Experiment and enjoy!

Ingredients
1 diced onion
4 cloves of garlic minced
Olive oil
2 16 ounce cans of crushed tomatoes (best to use your own preserved tomatoes or search out brands that do not contain harmful chemicals in the cans)
1 lb. of cooked ground meat or cooked sausages
2 large eggplants
1 bunch of fresh basil
1 lb. of fresh stinging nettle
2 cups grated mozzarella cheese

Pre-heat oven to 325. Slice eggplants lengthwise and lightly cover both sides with olive oil. Place them on a cookie sheet. Do not overlap. Bake them in the oven for 12 minutes and then flip over. Bake for ten minutes more or until they are translucent in the middle. Set them aside.

Raise the oven temperature to 350.

Fill a large pot with water, Bring to a boil and add the fresh stinging nettle leaves. Boil for about ten minutes and then strain well. Reserve the nettle water for drinking or for a rich fertilizer.

Meanwhile in a large skillet or sauce pan, saute onion in the olive oil until translucent. add the garlic and saute for minute more (being careful not to overcook the garlic). Add the crushed tomatoes, the cooked meat, basil and boiled stinging nettle. Let simmer for 15 minutes.

In a large casserole dish place a layer of the eggplant, followed by a thick layer of the tomato mixture and a sprinkling of cheese. Continue this until the ingredients are used up or there is no more room in the casserole dish. Bake in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes.