NETTLE GINGER ICE Cream (Vegan!)

The Healing Powers of Nettle

Within the great botanical variety that exists, it is known by the name of Nettle to a plant of the genus Urtica Dioica. Although it is often classified as a weed, it is one of the plants with the greatest and most powerful medicinal properties. This precious plant is recognized as an important source of vitamins, among A, B, C and E, as well as important minerals such as Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc and Calcium, which are related to important organic processes.

Some Lore + History on Nettle 

In Kawaiisu tribal practice as in Celtic lore, nettle serves as a protective guardian. Nettle fibers have been found in burial cloths from the Bronze age, also closely linking this plant with the threshold between life and death, and giving credence to the various folklore bits that describe Nettle as growing from or near the dead. Its use by human civilization dates back thousands of years. According to written researches and findings the Greeks and Romans knew and used this plant extensively, as a food and medicine. Some studies have even found traces of how this plant was used in Switzerland in the remote 3rd century BC.  

Read on for our recipe featuring this magnificent plant.

Recipe

May we introduce the perfect summer treat! This beautiful recipe by themedicinecircle is a wonderful way to incorporate herbs into a delicious, cooling treat. Nettles, Ginger, and our Coconut Cream Powder come together to create a delicious Ice Cream full of vitamins and minerals. Topped by crunchy, sweet Sesame Honey Spirals featuring our beloved Rose Powder, this treat is sure to delight folks of all ages.

Nettle & Ginger Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Green Apples, loosely chopped
• 1/3 Coconut Milk or Cream-scoop the top off a full fat can 
• 2 Tbsp. Coconut Cream Powder
• 1 Tbsp Nettles, blended in a coffee or spice grinder
• 1 Tsp Vanilla Extract (or substitute for our pure Vanilla Powder!)
• 4 Tbsp Maple Syrup, Honey, or Sweetener of your choice
• 1-2 Tsps Ginger Root, grated 
• Pinch of Salt
• For Color: Liquid Chlorophyll or Natural Green Food Coloring

Preparation: 

1. Add all the ingredients to a blender except for the dried nettles. 

2. Blend the dried nettles in a clean coffee or spice grinder. Use a fine-mesh sieve/tea strainer to sift the nettles into the blender; they should be a fine powder. Discard the leftover bits. 

3. Blend on high until everything is creamy and smooth.

4. Pour into an ice cream maker and let it run until smooth and frozen. 

5. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you can pour it into a container and place it in the freezer, mixing it every 15 minutes until it freezes to a soft but frozen consistency.

Salted Honey Sesame Spirals

Ingredients: 

• 2 Tbsp Sesame Seeds- 1 Tbsp White/1 Tbsp Black
• 1/8 Cup Honey 
• Generous Pinch of Salt
• 1/8 Tsp Rose Powder 
• 1/8 tsp Ginger Powder

  Preparation: 

1. Line a baking pan with parchment paper. 

2. Heat a small skillet on the stove over medium flame/heat. 

3. Add the sesame seeds and toast until they begin to become fragrant, stirring frequently. 

4. Add the honey and whisk. 

5. The honey will bubble up and be somewhat frothy,  and depending on the amount of water it contains, it will have large bubbles for a few minutes. Keep whisking every 10 seconds or so, until the honey calms down and the bubbles get smaller and the mixture begins to get smoother with a darker color. This will take around 10 minutes, depending on the water content of the honey. It should smell similar to caramel at the end, and you want to remove it from the heat if it starts to burn.

6. It will be extremely hot at this point, so carefully scoop it by the tablespoon onto a parchment-lined pan, making thin circles with the liquid. You can also pour it evenly onto the parchment-lined pan in one large spread. 

7. As soon as it is cooler to the touch, you should be able to roll the circles with your hands or cut the larger pieces to make shards of the candy. 

8. Serve with the ice cream!