YOu know what's crazy about dandelions? They sell these in the grocery & online as a gourmet green, and powdered forms of the root mushed into pills for liver support... yet it's probably growing in just about everyone's backyard, or at least a few steps away. And since no one seems to covet this fantabulous flowering plant, no one will care if you pick it! Steam it, dry it, use it for medicine, or even a roasted alternative coffee ingredient.It's only drawback is a man-made one, and that is some people spray their lawns with chemicals and fertilizers that will make ya sick if you eat from their plentiful weeds... so if you dont know the area/source lean towards caution and don't eat it.
The smaller younger leaves are the least bitter, so depending on your taste size does matter. Speaking of which, the scientific name for dandelion, Taraxacum would make the most awesome porn star name when broken down...... in case this career is in my future I am going to claim a grassroots copyright on this ---> Tara X Acum.So, aside from that digression - I put my dandelion greens on top some salmon to steam with veggies and rice noodles! MmmmMmMmm.
Xoxoxo
if you pick the greens before it flowers they are most times mild enough to use in a salad raw.
ReplyDeleteafter the flowers come up it might take a few change of water to get most of the bitterness out.
Somebody just gave me a bag of these from their organic garden, I threw them in salad, omg yum. I gotta plant some!! That meal looks really good.
ReplyDeleteforgot to mention that if your picking area might have chemical contamination, just pick the flowers when they are ready for blowing and blow the seeds in a safe one.
ReplyDeleteprobably the easiest and most entertaining vegetable to plant.
how would you do this recipe gluten free??? >> http://southerncuisine.suite101.com/article.cfm/frieddandelionflowers
Hey Panne!!!
ReplyDeleteGood tips... the flowers were open on all of mine, but shockingly they were not bitter. Maybe the time of year makes a big difference too?
And good reminder to everyone- Don't eat ones in areas maybe Sprayed with Crappy Chemicals!
Susie--->
Yum yum right!!!
The flowers can be used in pancake batter...sometimes I pull the flower apart and sometimes I just pick off the tough green part and put the flower in the middle...I used them in sun tea, too. The leaves of the dandelion and burdock when steeped in a strong tea make a good spring tonic...and goats and chickens like them, too...they are good blood purifiers.
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