Dandelion Recipes for You

Dandelions: Guaranteed Greens Forever!
Now that your beloved dandelions have gone into their post-reproductive slump, what can you do with them? They have generously seeded your lawn, vegetable garden and perennial borders. You are assured a never-ending supply of raw green food plus roots in the fall (don't you just LOVE digging them up?) and more dandelion buds in the Spring.

Thanks to the fact that dandelion seeds travel on the slightest puff of wind, your neighbors are now also blessed with the delights of a plentiful supply of dandelions! Better bring them some dandelion quiche (recipe anyone?) to acquaint them with the wonders of this easy-to-grow (not in my backyard!) vegetable.

They will thank you (you hope) for encouraging them to make use of a free, extraordinarily healthy raw dark green vegetable that does not cost $2.49 for a little bunch. After years of struggling to nurse along their iceberg lettuce, they will embrace a plant with an iron constitution (and a good source of iron as well). By its nature, the dandelion is guaranteed to give them fabulous nutrition for years.

I Love Dandelions!
A scene from my childhood:
As a youngster, I recall riding in the back seat of the family car, along a lovely parkway in the New York City area. It is late Spring. The lawns along the road are deep, luscious green, dotted profusely with butter-yellow dandelions, partly shaded by flowering trees and red maples. A gorgeous sight!

At one particularly beautiful expanse of lawn, I see a small group of Italian women, wearing colorful scarves on their heads, accompanied by their children. They carry large wicker baskets, moving gracefully and methodically, bending to pick the dandelion greens. I am struck by how happy and contented they are - one big family enjoying an activity handed down from generations past.

I never forget that timeless scene. Even when I am not thinking of it, its magic accompanies my present-day dandelion-gathering activities.

Harvesting Your Dandelions
Two days ago, we had temperatures in the 90's. I gathered the last of the tender, green, juicy dandelion leaves in one of my vegetable gardens (didn't I tell you the dandelion is a 'vegetable?'). The sun was so hot, the leaves were wilting in my hands.

After a nice cold soak, they recovered quite well as you can see...

I separate them into two piles; the smaller, more tender leaves for salad, and the larger leaves for sauteeing and green juice.

With a little care, your dandelion greens will stay cool and crisp. Give them a little spin in a salad spinner, wrap them loosely in paper towel, leave plastic bag open a little bit for air to get in, and refrigerate them. They can be kept for 3 or 4 days refrigerated.

Dandelion-Gathering Secrets
While out in the garden, I noticed that most of the dandelion plants' leaves are becoming large, hairy and tough. If you are a true health afficionado, that won't stop you - they can be used to make fabulous green drinks (no wheatgrass juicer required), or chopped up and tossed in a sauteed dish last minute after turning off the heat.

'But I want more raw dandelion salad,' you lament.

'Follow me to that patch of shade. See there, among the deep green grass - some of the most tender dendelions of the season.'

For a few more weeks, in shaded areas, you will find luscious, chlorophyll-rich gourmet dandelion greens. The photo at the top of the page is of some dandelions from a shaded area. I just picked them today in mid-90 degree heat.

Don't they look great! (I am eating a big handful of them chopped in a salad right now as I write).

Look for the more slender, delicate greens that still have the exaggerated saw-toothed edges dandelions are famous for. The lyrical phonetics of the word dandelion are an Anglicization of the French dent de lion, or lion's tooth, perhaps inspired by the serrated leaf edge. (Taraxacum officinale is the botanical name for dandelions).

When you pick them, they should snap off the base of the plant easily. If you have to tug on the leaves, they are green drink or sautee ingredients.

A Quick Dandelion Recipe for You - Italian-Style Dandelion Salad
Here's your first recipe (the one I am eating now). It took me only 10 minutes to make. Serves one (just double or triple it, etc. for more people).
Large handful tender dandelion greens, 1/4 cup chopped Vidalia onion, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts and pecans, 2 sliced radishes. Dressing: just the juice of a lemon wedge, one egg yolk, and 1 tablespoon first cold-pressed olive oil. A generous sprinkling of grated Peccorino Romano. Mmmmm.....

Dandelion/Beet/Pumpkin Seed Salad

Ingredients:
Dressing
Prepare dressing first. To keep salad ingredients from oxidizing once they are chopped or grated, you are going to want to put dressing on right away.
* 1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar / or juice of 2 slices lemon
* 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
* 1/4 teaspoon fine ground Celtic seasalt
* 1 - 2 Tablespoons first cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
Optional:
* 1 clove garlic crushed, chopped or grated
* 1 egg yolk from organic free-range eggs (I feed the white and part of yolk to my dog)
* Pinch of cayenne or black pepper

Mix well and pour over:
Salad Vegetables
Large handful washed, chopped dandelion greens
1/8 - 1/4 med. size Vidalia, Red, or Sweet Yellow Onion, sliced
1 med carrot coarse grated
1/2 cup coarse grated beets
1/4 - 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup currants

Enjoy!


Dandelion/Arugula/Leaf Lettuce Salad

Salad Vegetables
* 2 cups dandelion leaves chopped
* 2 cups arrugula cut into bite-sized pieces
* 3 cups leaf lettuce torn
* 3 medium size radishes, sliced
Optional:
* 2 marigold flowers (save one for garnish, slice base off the other, and mix with salad). Marigold flowers are a great source of lutein, and in fact many lutein supplements are made from marigolds.

Dressing:
Very quick and simple:
* Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon Celtic fine-ground seasalt over vegetables and toss
* Sprinkle 2 teaspoons raw apple cider vinegar in and toss
* 2 Tablespoons first cold pressed extra-virgin olive oil and toss again
* Add black pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup grated Peccorino Romano raw sheep milk cheese - reserve 1 T for top, and mix the rest into salad

Here it is!

Update: June 22nd, 2008
On Dandelion Safari in the Suburbs
What if you live in the suburbs? You and your neighbors have the lawn service coming in to use chemical grub controls and other such treatments. Is there any way you can safely avail yourself of the health benefits of eating dandelions?

I would say a cautiously qualified 'yes.'

Last time I was in Whole Foods Market, the going price for a 4 oz bunch of cilantro was $2.49. Getting raw dark greens for free can eventually save you a nice amount of money.

To Eat or Not to Eat?
Last week, I stayed with my Mom, who lives 6 hours away in western New York State. Every day, I helped her clear weeds from the foundation plantings around her house.

Naturally, coming upon scenes like the ones below elicited some conflict:

Big, juicy, nasty, lovely, healthy dandelion leaves! And some tender ones just right to add to our salads. Mom loves salad, and I prepare one for us almost every night. Lots of chlorophyll and nutrients, but what about their environment? Dare I trust that the good outweighs the chemicals? How safe to consume are these tempting-looking greens?

I thought about this as I removed other 'botanical undesireables' (a term that won't cast a disparaging light on all of them, since I do love dandelions, even those that need to be removed). It seemed a shame to just pull the dandelions without using some of their bounteous offerings.

It dawned on me that I could treat these suburban dandelions to remove much of the pesticides, kill bacteria and fungi, and make them safe to eat. Mom can't get as much organic produce in her area as I can, so she already eats commercially-raised vegetables, which do contain pesticides. The dandelion leaves couldn't be that different from commercial produce, and have a much higher nutrient content.

Awhile back, I taught Mom how to cleanse and detoxify the vegetables she buys. I figured I could do the same with the dandelions.

Many years ago while living in a suburban environment, I regularly foraged for all kinds of wild greens and felt that they enhanced my well-being. Usually, I found them in empty woodlots (using the detox below, you don't have to worry about, ahem! if any dogs wandered through the weeds - or for that matter, your yard)!

Suburban Dandelion Shoulds and Shouldn'ts
Don't under any circumstances eat dandelions from a chemically treated lawn, and/or from the roadside where they are exposed directly to auto exhaust! Also, if you are chemically-sensitive, it is better not to eat suburban dandelions at all, and to stick to all-organic produce.

Ideally, like my Mom, you minimally treat your lawn with natural or the least toxic products, and/or make sure your lawn service does the same.

Dandelions located under the foundation plantings (assuming you don’t have your foundation sprayed for ants, or use chemical insect killer on the shrubs, can be utilized. If your home is set back away from the street in a quiet suburban neighborhood, so much the better.

The dandelions at Mom's were under the foundation plantings, and her neighborhood doesn't have much traffic. After harvesting a generous salad bowl full, I detoxified them. Here's how:

Dandelion Detox
If you don't have clean well water, you will need a couple gallons distilled water on hand.

1 - Rinse all dirt off with regular tap water. This may take up to 4 or 5 rinses, but can be done rather quickly. Put the dandelion leaves in a large bowl in the sink and fill with water. Swish the leaves around and the dirt will fall to the bottom. Gently fish the leaves out and put in another bowl while emptying and cleaning the bowl used for rinsing. Repeat until rinse water has no dirt in it.

2 - Now, put the dandelion leaves back in the big bowl, add 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon Clorox bleach and cover them completely with distilled water. Make sure to swish leaves around to distribute Clorox. Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes.

3 - Drain Clorox solution out of bowl and lift leaves to let excess water drain from them. Put leaves back in bowl and pour just enough distilled water in to cover, pressing leaves down into water. Rinse, refill bowl, and let stand for at least 10 minutes. Because distilled water contains no minerals or other substances, just pure H2O, it is essentially a vacuum that will draw other substances into it. Water is also one of nature's most effective solvents, so the distilled water alone has some good cleansing properties.

4 - Drain distilled water out of bowl. Your dandelion leaves are now ready for the salad spinner.

Mom enjoyed having dandelions in the salad every evening, and dandelion juice in her fresh carrot/beet juice in the morning. She is also happy that her perennials no longer have to compete with such vigorous plants as the dandelion.



Recipes below coming soon!


Dandelion Pesto!

Dandelion and Goat Chevre

Dandelion/Chicken Stir-Fry

Dandelion Green Drinks 3 versions - carrot/beet/dandelion apple/dandelion lemon/dandelion