Yesterday I wrote a blog about the health benefits and delicious nature of the lovely, not-so-lowly dandelion. For those who are feeling intrepid, here are some of the many ways to use the wild dandelions that you find in your yard.
To harvest your dandelions, make sure that you find a place that is relatively wild and unsprayed, or simply grow them in your own yard. Yes, I’m telling you to grow dandelions. After all, they appear to be nearly-impossible to get rid of, so why not say that you actually want them there? If you are harvesting dandelions from the wild, make sure that you are off main dog-walking trails too. You know why.
Dandelion leaves are somewhat bitter. In a salad, I like to pair them with milder greens. Mizuna is another early spring green that is fairly mild, and spinach and many lettuces make a good complement to dandelions. I also like to pair them with rich foods like goat cheese sprinkled on the salad, walnuts, or portabello mushrooms cooked in butter. They also taste good with light, protein-rich foods like grilled chicken. Add something tangy too, like lemon juice, red onions or a dash of olive oil with cider vinegar. Dandelion greens also taste intriguing with tangy but sweet flavors like mandarin oranges.
If you want to get really exotic, make dandelion flower creations like dandelion fritters. Recruit a small child to assist you. On a sunny morning, go out and collect the open flowers of the dandelions. Come back and heat up a pan. Put an egg, one cup of milk, and one cup of flower in a bowl. Dip the dandelion flowers into the batter, then fry them in oil or butter. Yum!
It’s evening now, but this blog is making me hungry. I may need to go skulk around on the grass in front of my house and search for some dandelions.
Have you ever cooked with wild foods? Do you have recipes to share?
(image courtest of maattt on stock exchange)