text: One of the most easily sourced free foods available at this time of year is the stinging nettle. Generally regarded and treated as a weed, it is in fact a plant that is rich in nutrients (vitamins A and C as well as magnesium, iron and calcium). In addition the nettle is an important food source for pollinating insects, especially bees and butterflies, which feed on the flowers of the plant.
  Nettles are at their best right now, while they are still tender and succulent. They like to grow in healthy, nitrogen-rich soil, so I choose to take it as a complement that there is always a small clump of them growing on one of the edges of my allotment.
  When foraging for nettles, use gloves and avoid plants which are growing by roadsides. Always wash the leaves well before cooking them.