Stinging nettle

A sting that vanishes in boiling water. Free spinach, basically.

Urtica dioica — the sting you can cook

Nettles sting because they're full of tiny glass needles. Thirty seconds in boiling water destroys them, and what's left is one of the most nutritious greens you can eat for nothing.

How to pick

season    spring, before they flower
look for  the young top four leaves
leave     any plant that has gone to seed
gear      gloves, or a plastic bag over your hand

What to do with it

Soup, tea, or wilted with butter like spinach. The sting is the only thing to fear, and heat kills it instantly.