I met up with Alia and Sara from Basima’s Kitchen (@basimaskitchen) for a day of foraging, cooking, laughing, storytelling, and singing to no other than Fairuz. We got our heads and hearts together to revisit a recipe of fatayer, a staple dish from Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA). In the spirit of spring and Ramadan, we foraged seasonal plants such as stinging nettles and wild garlic leaves to re-create this unique dish.

However, this journal entry isn't just about food. It's about remembrance and reclaiming a connection with our roots. Food can be an excellent tool for such things. Learn about fatayer, Basima's Kitchen and why it's important to get to know the plants growing around you. Scroll down for the full recipe pinned at the bottom of this journal entry.

Why Nettle Fatayer?

Fatayer is a type of pie that is part of Levantine cuisine. It is enjoyed throughout the SWANA region, from Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, to Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and beyond. Fatayer is normally prepared by stuffing dough with spinach or cheese. This time, we made it with nettle and wild garlic. It tasted even better than it sounds.

Nettle and wild garlic are abundant during the spring season. So why not use this nutritious wild food instead of store-bought spinach?

Now more than ever, it is vital and empowering to connect with your local plants. Food prices are soaring while food shortages are becoming more common due to unsustainable practices of distribution, from overproduction to exploitation of resources. On top of that, colonisation and modernisation has displaced our connection with the land and the plants growing around us.

In the spirit of Ramadan, a holy month for muslims around the world, we wanted to revisit a staple Iftar dish of our homes and hearts using wild food that some may not know is actually growing right around their doorstep. This year, Ramadan so happens to occur during spring. We thought this would be a fun and intentional way to celebrate this special month using seasonal plants.

Benefits of Stinging Nettles (Urtica dioica)

Someone once told me that she couldn’t find spinach anywhere in the country she lives in, as it’s not a local plant within that region. I asked her if she had any nettles around, she responded “you mean the plants that sting?” — why yes, yes I do!

Stinging nettles are an abundant wild food that is incredibly nutritious and packed with antioxidants which may support the body against cell damage and disease. Nettles can provide us with a variety of nutrients such as iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc (USDA, 2008) and vitamins A, C, and K (Rutto et al., 2013). This can be useful if you feel depleted due to menstruation or nutrient deficiency.

Nettles are a seasonal food that you can use in a various dishes, teas, skincare remedies and more. They have a similar flavour to spinach, so it’s easy to replace popular spinach dishes with this wild herb. Don’t worry, the sting goes away by cooking, blanching or drying the leaves.

You can harvest nettles with gloves to prevent getting stung. However, if handled with care, you don't need gloves at all. In fact, a nettle's sting can be beneficial for cases of poor circulation, arthritis and various musculoskeletal conditions (Levy, 1996).

Reclaiming our connection with the Land

Now more than ever, it is vital and empowering to connect with your local plants. Food prices are soaring while food shortages are becoming more common due to unsustainable practices of distribution, from overproduction to exploitation of resources. On top of that, colonisation and modernisation has displaced our connection with the land and the plants growing around us.

Many people around the world rely on supermarkets and imported goods. The ironic thing about crisis, is that when it hits, we return back to basics, back to our roots, and (in some senses), back to our power. Who do we rely on when there’s nobody to lean on? Ourselves, our communities, and what the land can provide.

From rural communities in Greece, Lebanon, England, Nepal and elsewhere, harvesting and utilising seasonal wild food is already common. But what about the city dwellers? Wild food is also accessible within urban areas and all it takes is "stopping to smell the roses," except in this case it's "stopping to get stung by a nettle and realise they are actually delicious!"

The story behind Basima's Kitchen

Basima's kitchen is a catering business based in Surrey, UK. Alia and Sara are the two Saudi-Palestinian power women behind the Kitchen. They prepare homemade Southwest Asian food inspired by their late grandmother, Basima.

They have a passion for emulating their grandmother's kitchen, the food and comfort that she provided for her family.

"We tried to live up to her name, it's a hard task because she was an incredible cook. But we try to bring her love, comfort and wholesome food that she gave to us and our family, so that we can share it to the world and everyone around us" - Alia Masry from Basima's Kitchen.

Remembrance is an act of resilience against modernisation and colonisation. In a world where we are disconnected from our roots and the land around us, remembering the ways of our elders, from food to music to soul, is essential in this ever-changing world.

Meeting up with Alia and Sara for a day of foraging and cooking ancestral food was an experience I won't forget. There is something about creating in the company of your kin. We are tied to one another through food, land, music, joy, pain. When we connect to our heritage, our rituals and ancestry, we connect with one another. Food is a way of remembering where we come from and where to return to when we feel lost in this world. We are held by our land and our memories. Ultimately, we’re never alone even if it sometimes feels like it.