Foraged Nettle Smoothie

INGREDIENTS

• 1/4 cup coconut milk
• 1 small banana or 1/2 of a large banana
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks
• 1 cup of blanched stinging nettle leaves 
• 1/2 cucumber, peeled and cubed
• 1/2 avocado

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Prepare the nettles

Harvest the nettle plants carefully with gloved hands. Collect the nettles with tongs and put them into the boiling water. Stir around and boil for 2 minutes for dwarf nettles and about 4 minutes for common nettles. Remove them with tongs and immediately immerse them into a big bowl with ice water. 

See Harvesting Nettle's post for more information.

2. Add coconut milk, nettle leaves, banana, pineapple, cucumber, and avocado, blend till smooth

Notes

• You can reduce the calorie count using light coconut milk (homemade coconut milk is usually much lighter). You can also use less pineapple and more cucumber. 
• Nettle plants will become fibrous when they flower, so it's best to choose young plants. Smaller, younger plants are sweeter and more tender. I usually only choose the top leaves of nettle plants before they flower and remove all large stems.
• You can substitute pineapple for any fruit you like (Strawberry, Mango, Raspberries, etc.)