Thread: Gobo, a vegetable deserving more attention

On 01/05/2011 7:45 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>>
>> That article also talks about it being used for medicinal purposes. It
>> reminded me of my neighbour's back 40 where there is a lot of stinging
>> nettles. He told me that it is a good cure for arthritis. He said that
>> if you you rub it on the afflicted area it provides some relief. I am
>> not sure that is true. I was weeding in my yard the other day and came
>> across some young stinging nettle plants. I convinced myself that if I
>> handled the young plants gently I would not have a problem. I was
>> wrong. I endured the annoying sting of that thing for two days and this
>> morning my one finger that has a bit of arthritis in it was sore. It had
>> not bothered me for months.... until I was exposed to the cure.
>
> I don't know if I've ever seen a stinging nettle,
> but there's a well-known phenomenon in medicine
> called counter-irritation. If you have a pain
> in one part of the body, irritating another part
> nearby can divert attention from the pain, providing
> some relief. That's why bee stings are sometimes
> recommended for joint pain, as well as devices
> that poke the skin with sharp points or deliver
> small electric shocks.

It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
problems with it. It is more of an annoyance than a severe problem. I
had heard about it as a kid but never really knew what it looked like
until I moved to this property and was weeding the garden. I grabbed a
handful of weeds, one of which turned out to be stinging nettles. It
felt like I had stuck my hand into a hornets' nest.

My mom was telling me about how my grandmother used
to cook with gobo, and it sounded pretty good, so
I bought some today. I just ate some in soup.

It's good. It doesn't have a strong flavor, but
it does have a nice texture. I did soak it for
10 minutes as recommended here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_burdock

I peeled it, though mom said to scrape the outside.
It's sort of like a carrot, but you don't eat it raw
and it doesn't develop that awful flavor carrots do
when cooked. At only $1.69/lb at the Asian food store,
it's cheaper than carrots at Safeway.

The Wikipedia article says it's like artichoke.
It's sufficiently close, I may try steaming it
and eating it with typical artichoke condiments.

On 2011-05-01, Dave Smith <[email protected]> wrote:

> It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
> problems with it.......

Boy howdy! I peed on one when I was 8 yrs old. Swung away from me.
Guess where it swung back to.

nb

On 01/05/2011 8:18 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> Dave Smith wrote:
>>
>> It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
>> problems with it. It is more of an annoyance than a severe problem. I
>> had heard about it as a kid but never really knew what it looked like
>> until I moved to this property and was weeding the garden. I grabbed a
>> handful of weeds, one of which turned out to be stinging nettles. It
>> felt like I had stuck my hand into a hornets' nest.
>
> Reading this:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_nettle
>
> I think I may have touched a stinging nettle when
> I was a teenager. I just barely touched it, and
> immediately got a sharp pain even though I couldn't
> see a thorn or wound in my finger.


That could have been it. You do not see the spines that inflict that
annoying stinging feeling for a day or two. If you can locate the area
and squeeze it out you are doing well. The problem is that yo usually
get a bunch of them and will still have some in there. After a few days
they cause a bit f infection and you can see the pussy spots to better
locate them and squeeze them out.

Dave Smith wrote:
>
> That article also talks about it being used for medicinal purposes. It
> reminded me of my neighbour's back 40 where there is a lot of stinging
> nettles. He told me that it is a good cure for arthritis. He said that
> if you you rub it on the afflicted area it provides some relief. I am
> not sure that is true. I was weeding in my yard the other day and came
> across some young stinging nettle plants. I convinced myself that if I
> handled the young plants gently I would not have a problem. I was
> wrong. I endured the annoying sting of that thing for two days and this
> morning my one finger that has a bit of arthritis in it was sore. It had
> not bothered me for months.... until I was exposed to the cure.

I don't know if I've ever seen a stinging nettle,
but there's a well-known phenomenon in medicine
called counter-irritation. If you have a pain
in one part of the body, irritating another part
nearby can divert attention from the pain, providing
some relief. That's why bee stings are sometimes
recommended for joint pain, as well as devices
that poke the skin with sharp points or deliver
small electric shocks.

Dave Smith wrote:
>
> It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
> problems with it. It is more of an annoyance than a severe problem. I
> had heard about it as a kid but never really knew what it looked like
> until I moved to this property and was weeding the garden. I grabbed a
> handful of weeds, one of which turned out to be stinging nettles. It
> felt like I had stuck my hand into a hornets' nest.

Reading this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stinging_nettle

I think I may have touched a stinging nettle when
I was a teenager. I just barely touched it, and
immediately got a sharp pain even though I couldn't
see a thorn or wound in my finger.

On 5/1/2011 6:50 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
> problems with it. It is more of an annoyance than a severe problem. I
> had heard about it as a kid but never really knew what it looked like
> until I moved to this property and was weeding the garden. I grabbed a
> handful of weeds, one of which turned out to be stinging nettles. It
> felt like I had stuck my hand into a hornets' nest.

"But don't run away, as this plant is worth gathering. Nettles are a
mineral supply depot. Nettles have human usable forms of iron, calcium,
potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins A, C, and D. "

http://www.stonecirclefarm.com/artic...ng-nettle.html

Nettle Soup

Combine in a medium saucepan:

5 cups chicken broth
3 cups young nettle tops (washed and chopped into 1" pieces)

Boil 10 minutes. For a smooth soup, force the cooked nettles through a
sieve or food mill or blend 1 minute in a blender. Return nettles and
liquid to the saucepan and add:

3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
1 tablespoon butter
½ teaspoon salt
pinch of black pepper, freshly ground.

Simmer briefly and serve.

notbob wrote:
> On 2011-05-01, Dave Smith <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>> It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
>> problems with it.......
>
> Boy howdy! I peed on one when I was 8 yrs old. Swung away from me.
> Guess where it swung back to.
>
> nb

Egad! I ran through a filed of them once, but that????

--
Jean B.

On 01/05/2011 8:54 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> On 5/1/2011 6:50 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>> It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
>> problems with it. It is more of an annoyance than a severe problem. I
>> had heard about it as a kid but never really knew what it looked like
>> until I moved to this property and was weeding the garden. I grabbed a
>> handful of weeds, one of which turned out to be stinging nettles. It
>> felt like I had stuck my hand into a hornets' nest.
>
> "But don't run away, as this plant is worth gathering. Nettles are a
> mineral supply depot. Nettles have human usable forms of iron, calcium,
> potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins A, C, and D. "
>
> http://www.stonecirclefarm.com/artic...ng-nettle.html
>
> Nettle Soup
>
> Combine in a medium saucepan:
>
> 5 cups chicken broth
> 3 cups young nettle tops (washed and chopped into 1" pieces)
>
> Boil 10 minutes. For a smooth soup, force the cooked nettles through a
> sieve or food mill or blend 1 minute in a blender. Return nettles and
> liquid to the saucepan and add:
>
> 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
> 1 tablespoon butter
> ½ teaspoon salt
> pinch of black pepper, freshly ground.
>
> Simmer briefly and serve.
>


Thanks, but after having been stung numerous times, I am not likely to
try it in soup. However, there is always the chance of some sort of
apocalyptic famine and it might be the only thing to eat.

>

On 5/1/2011 9:16 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> On 01/05/2011 8:54 PM, Cheryl wrote:
>> On 5/1/2011 6:50 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>> It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
>>> problems with it. It is more of an annoyance than a severe problem. I
>>> had heard about it as a kid but never really knew what it looked like
>>> until I moved to this property and was weeding the garden. I grabbed a
>>> handful of weeds, one of which turned out to be stinging nettles. It
>>> felt like I had stuck my hand into a hornets' nest.
>>
>> "But don't run away, as this plant is worth gathering. Nettles are a
>> mineral supply depot. Nettles have human usable forms of iron, calcium,
>> potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins A, C, and D. "
>>
>> http://www.stonecirclefarm.com/artic...ng-nettle.html
>>
>> Nettle Soup
>>
>> Combine in a medium saucepan:
>>
>> 5 cups chicken broth
>> 3 cups young nettle tops (washed and chopped into 1" pieces)
>>
>> Boil 10 minutes. For a smooth soup, force the cooked nettles through a
>> sieve or food mill or blend 1 minute in a blender. Return nettles and
>> liquid to the saucepan and add:
>>
>> 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
>> 1 tablespoon butter
>> ½ teaspoon salt
>> pinch of black pepper, freshly ground.
>>
>> Simmer briefly and serve.
>>
>
>
> Thanks, but after having been stung numerous times, I am not likely to
> try it in soup. However, there is always the chance of some sort of
> apocalyptic famine and it might be the only thing to eat.
>
I suppose I might try cooked nettles in desperation if I was absolutely
beat for greens but I'd rather eat cooked spinach and my enthusiasm for
that is nil.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm "not"
[email protected]

On 5/1/2011 12:50 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> My mom was telling me about how my grandmother used
> to cook with gobo, and it sounded pretty good, so
> I bought some today. I just ate some in soup.
>
> It's good. It doesn't have a strong flavor, but
> it does have a nice texture. I did soak it for
> 10 minutes as recommended here:
>
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_burdock
>
> I peeled it, though mom said to scrape the outside.
> It's sort of like a carrot, but you don't eat it raw
> and it doesn't develop that awful flavor carrots do
> when cooked. At only $1.69/lb at the Asian food store,
> it's cheaper than carrots at Safeway.
>
> The Wikipedia article says it's like artichoke.
> It's sufficiently close, I may try steaming it
> and eating it with typical artichoke condiments.

I was at a funeral this evening and it's customary to serve a little
meal at the end. They served a gobo dish which was julienned gobo and
carrots simmered in a shoyu and sugar sauce. I'm not a big fan of gobo
because it has an unpleasant fibrous texture. No matter, it's a popular
funeral food as is nishime - which I'm not too fond of either.

The shoyu pork and funeral sushi and mochi was pretty good. It's pretty
funny - they always serve a sweet drink made from fruit punch or orange
syrup at these things. I sure wish they'd serve something better.

In article <ipl7te$j7n$[email protected]>, [email protected]
says...
>
> On 5/1/2011 9:16 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> > On 01/05/2011 8:54 PM, Cheryl wrote:
> >> On 5/1/2011 6:50 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> >>> It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
> >>> problems with it. It is more of an annoyance than a severe problem. I
> >>> had heard about it as a kid but never really knew what it looked like
> >>> until I moved to this property and was weeding the garden. I grabbed a
> >>> handful of weeds, one of which turned out to be stinging nettles. It
> >>> felt like I had stuck my hand into a hornets' nest.
> >>
> >> "But don't run away, as this plant is worth gathering. Nettles are a
> >> mineral supply depot. Nettles have human usable forms of iron, calcium,
> >> potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins A, C, and D. "
> >>
> >> http://www.stonecirclefarm.com/artic...ng-nettle.html
> >>
> >> Nettle Soup
> >>
> >> Combine in a medium saucepan:
> >>
> >> 5 cups chicken broth
> >> 3 cups young nettle tops (washed and chopped into 1" pieces)
> >>
> >> Boil 10 minutes. For a smooth soup, force the cooked nettles through a
> >> sieve or food mill or blend 1 minute in a blender. Return nettles and
> >> liquid to the saucepan and add:
> >>
> >> 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
> >> 1 tablespoon butter
> >> ? teaspoon salt
> >> pinch of black pepper, freshly ground.
> >>
> >> Simmer briefly and serve.
> >>
> >
> >
> > Thanks, but after having been stung numerous times, I am not likely to
> > try it in soup. However, there is always the chance of some sort of
> > apocalyptic famine and it might be the only thing to eat.
> >
> I suppose I might try cooked nettles in desperation if I was absolutely
> beat for greens but I'd rather eat cooked spinach and my enthusiasm for
> that is nil.

IIRC, Solzhenitsyn mentions nettle soup as being a staple of Gulag
cuisine. I suspect that there's a message there somehwere . . .

"J. Clarke" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
>> On 5/1/2011 9:16 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>> >>
>> >> Nettle Soup
>> > Thanks, but after having been stung numerous times, I am not likely to
>> > try it in soup. However, there is always the chance of some sort of
>> > apocalyptic famine and it might be the only thing to eat.
>> >
>> I suppose I might try cooked nettles in desperation if I was absolutely
>> beat for greens but I'd rather eat cooked spinach and my enthusiasm for
>> that is nil.
>
> IIRC, Solzhenitsyn mentions nettle soup as being a staple of Gulag
> cuisine. I suspect that there's a message there somehwere . . .

Nettles are absolutely delicious, just wear garden gloves when gathering
them. Wash in a cool bath instead of a shower, wearing rubber gloves. Toss
in a big pot, cover and cook until wilted. All the sting is now gone. You
can then make anything of them. I make ravioli. I also sautè them with
chard and spinach or turnip greens with garlic, red pepper and oil and toss
freshly cooked pasta in it. Add raw oil to taste.

Nettle soup like sorrel soup, of the same season, is jammed with butter, so
though I like it, I never make it. The reason we eat nettles is that the
plant is simply the most efficient at stripping minerals from soil, so they
are a nutritionists dream. If you doubt me, plant some under your roses and
watch your rose turn yellow.

James Silverton wrote:
> On 5/1/2011 9:16 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>> On 01/05/2011 8:54 PM, Cheryl wrote:
>>> On 5/1/2011 6:50 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>> It's worth learning about stinging nettles so that you might avoid
>>>> problems with it. It is more of an annoyance than a severe problem. I
>>>> had heard about it as a kid but never really knew what it looked like
>>>> until I moved to this property and was weeding the garden. I grabbed a
>>>> handful of weeds, one of which turned out to be stinging nettles. It
>>>> felt like I had stuck my hand into a hornets' nest.
>>>
>>> "But don't run away, as this plant is worth gathering. Nettles are a
>>> mineral supply depot. Nettles have human usable forms of iron, calcium,
>>> potassium, magnesium, and Vitamins A, C, and D. "
>>>
>>> http://www.stonecirclefarm.com/artic...ng-nettle.html
>>>
>>> Nettle Soup
>>>
>>> Combine in a medium saucepan:
>>>
>>> 5 cups chicken broth
>>> 3 cups young nettle tops (washed and chopped into 1" pieces)
>>>
>>> Boil 10 minutes. For a smooth soup, force the cooked nettles through a
>>> sieve or food mill or blend 1 minute in a blender. Return nettles and
>>> liquid to the saucepan and add:
>>>
>>> 3 tablespoons heavy cream or milk
>>> 1 tablespoon butter
>>> ½ teaspoon salt
>>> pinch of black pepper, freshly ground.
>>>
>>> Simmer briefly and serve.
>>>
>>
>>
>> Thanks, but after having been stung numerous times, I am not likely to
>> try it in soup. However, there is always the chance of some sort of
>> apocalyptic famine and it might be the only thing to eat.
>>
> I suppose I might try cooked nettles in desperation if I was absolutely
> beat for greens but I'd rather eat cooked spinach and my enthusiasm for
> that is nil.
>
Same here. I keep reading about nettles being edible, but once
stung, it is hard to work up the least bit of desire to try them.

--
Jean B.

dsi1 wrote:
> On 5/1/2011 12:50 PM, Mark Thorson wrote:
>> My mom was telling me about how my grandmother used
>> to cook with gobo, and it sounded pretty good, so
>> I bought some today. I just ate some in soup.
>>
>> It's good. It doesn't have a strong flavor, but
>> it does have a nice texture. I did soak it for
>> 10 minutes as recommended here:
>>
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_burdock
>>
>> I peeled it, though mom said to scrape the outside.
>> It's sort of like a carrot, but you don't eat it raw
>> and it doesn't develop that awful flavor carrots do
>> when cooked. At only $1.69/lb at the Asian food store,
>> it's cheaper than carrots at Safeway.
>>
>> The Wikipedia article says it's like artichoke.
>> It's sufficiently close, I may try steaming it
>> and eating it with typical artichoke condiments.
>
> I was at a funeral this evening and it's customary to serve a little
> meal at the end. They served a gobo dish which was julienned gobo and
> carrots simmered in a shoyu and sugar sauce. I'm not a big fan of gobo
> because it has an unpleasant fibrous texture. No matter, it's a popular
> funeral food as is nishime - which I'm not too fond of either.
>
> The shoyu pork and funeral sushi and mochi was pretty good. It's pretty
> funny - they always serve a sweet drink made from fruit punch or orange
> syrup at these things. I sure wish they'd serve something better.

I also am not too fond of gobo, but at least it isn't shiso, which
I detest.

--
Jean B.

Giusi wrote:
> "J. Clarke" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
>>> On 5/1/2011 9:16 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
>>>>> Nettle Soup
>>>> Thanks, but after having been stung numerous times, I am not likely to
>>>> try it in soup. However, there is always the chance of some sort of
>>>> apocalyptic famine and it might be the only thing to eat.
>>>>
>>> I suppose I might try cooked nettles in desperation if I was absolutely
>>> beat for greens but I'd rather eat cooked spinach and my enthusiasm for
>>> that is nil.
>> IIRC, Solzhenitsyn mentions nettle soup as being a staple of Gulag
>> cuisine. I suspect that there's a message there somehwere . . .
>
> Nettles are absolutely delicious, just wear garden gloves when gathering
> them. Wash in a cool bath instead of a shower, wearing rubber gloves. Toss
> in a big pot, cover and cook until wilted. All the sting is now gone. You
> can then make anything of them. I make ravioli. I also sautè them with
> chard and spinach or turnip greens with garlic, red pepper and oil and toss
> freshly cooked pasta in it. Add raw oil to taste.
>
> Nettle soup like sorrel soup, of the same season, is jammed with butter, so
> though I like it, I never make it. The reason we eat nettles is that the
> plant is simply the most efficient at stripping minerals from soil, so they
> are a nutritionists dream. If you doubt me, plant some under your roses and
> watch your rose turn yellow.
>
>
Hmmm. Do they also strip toxins from the soil???

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
> Hmmm. Do they also strip toxins from the soil???

I have no idea. OTH, any mineral could be toxic in huge quantities, but I
suspect that nettles are not toxic because generations of Mediterraneans and
British have been eating them and have not disappeared from Earth. You eat
them only when there is fresh growth, which here is spring and autumn, and
you nip off the tops which are the freshest growth. In summer when it is
very dry here they are inedible because of a build-up of oxalic acid.

In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] says...
>
> "J. Clarke" <[email protected]> ha scritto nel messaggio
> >> On 5/1/2011 9:16 PM, Dave Smith wrote:
> >> >>
> >> >> Nettle Soup
> >> > Thanks, but after having been stung numerous times, I am not likely to
> >> > try it in soup. However, there is always the chance of some sort of
> >> > apocalyptic famine and it might be the only thing to eat.
> >> >
> >> I suppose I might try cooked nettles in desperation if I was absolutely
> >> beat for greens but I'd rather eat cooked spinach and my enthusiasm for
> >> that is nil.
> >
> > IIRC, Solzhenitsyn mentions nettle soup as being a staple of Gulag
> > cuisine. I suspect that there's a message there somehwere . . .
>
> Nettles are absolutely delicious,

They certainly are; and a great source of iron, vitamins and minerals.

> just wear garden gloves when gathering
> them. Wash in a cool bath instead of a shower, wearing rubber gloves. Toss
> in a big pot, cover and cook until wilted. All the sting is now gone.

My grandmother always cooked young nettles in spring as a "cleanser and
tonic" and she picked them barehanded. The sting only develops in mature
leaves; young ones have next to none. She picked barehanded because
that's how to tell the tastiest tenderest bits... they don't sting when
grasped firmly. I'm currently weeding young spring nettles barehanded.

Janet

On 5/2/2011 11:29 AM, Mark Thorson wrote:
> Janet wrote:
>>
>> My grandmother always cooked young nettles in spring as a "cleanser and
>> tonic" and she picked them barehanded. The sting only develops in mature
>> leaves; young ones have next to none. She picked barehanded because
>> that's how to tell the tastiest tenderest bits... they don't sting when
>> grasped firmly. I'm currently weeding young spring nettles barehanded.
>
> That sounds like determining whether a gun is loaded
> by pulling the trigger.

It's a thing that children learn early and is well known in the phrase
"Grasp the nettle". However, as children also learn, the nettle should
also be grasped *quickly*.

--


James Silverton, Potomac

I'm "not"
[email protected]