Nettle chorba

Method

1. Pick nettles in early spring, taking only the top four leaves of each plant and only before it has flowered. After flowering the leaves are coarse and are better left. Wear gloves, or cut into a bag with scissors.
2. Wash the nettles in several changes of cold water, then pour boiling water over them and leave them a minute. Drain, squeeze them out and chop them. Blanching kills the sting for good.
3. Slice the spring onions, grate the carrot and cut the potato into small dice.
4. Heat the oil and soften the spring onions and carrot for five minutes, then add the chopped nettles and turn them through the oil for two minutes more.
5. Stir in the flour and cook it for a minute, then pour in the water a little at a time, whisking, so it does not go lumpy. Add the potato and rice and salt lightly.
6. Simmer for twenty minutes, until the rice and potato are soft and the soup has thickened a little. Add more water if it tightens too much.
7. Take it off the heat, stir in the crushed garlic and the lemon juice, season, and let it sit five minutes before serving. The lemon here is not decoration; it lifts the flat, green, iron taste.