Basil, parsley, cat mint and (stinging) nettle are all essential to basic Italian cooking. I just can't get myself wrapped around the whole stinging nettles thing. Read that if you grab the plant aggressively there is no stinging -- yeah, you try it and let us know how that worked for you. Too many memories of my youth by the river with the nettles. And, yeah, I have seen nettle seeds for sale.

Oh, cat mint -- saute a clove of chopped garlic and a sprig of chopped parsley in some olive oil. Add a lb of chopped porcini/boletus (or quartered button mushrooms) and a pinch of salt, cover and cook slowly for about 15-minutes. Add a sprig or two of chopped cat mint, stir and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.