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Title: Dandelions > Xena@warrior.com
Categories: Vegetable Info
Yield: 4 Servings
| Dandelions |
My wild plant book suggests that you can eat the dandelion early in the spring before it gets too bitter, but it is also possible to dig the older roots in fall and winter.
"Cut out developing bud clusters and pick fully opened flowers in spring.
Preparation: For flowers, leaves, and older roots treat like chicory (slice bleached underground portion of leaf crown for use raw in salad, along with oil and vinegar or with other spring edibles. Boil crown bases about 5 min and serve with butter and seasonings. Same for leaves but water changes may be needed to remove bitterness, esp later in spring. For a coffee sub, scrub roots and roast slowly in the oven until brown throughout, grind and brew like coffee.)
Peel young roots, slice thin, and boil in 2 changes of water for about 20 min, adding a pinch of baking soda to the first water. Serve with butter and seasonings or saute cooked slices in butter until brown. Season with paprika. Boil buds just a few min, butter and serve. Dip blossoms in fritter batter, fry in oil and serve with syrup or garlic salt."
See why I love my wild plant book? LOL. A guide to finding, harvesting, AND a cookbook all rolled into one!
Xena Formerly anon@mous.com
At the time as the flower buds just show above the ground, pick a good bunch, fry some bacon and afterwards toss the buds in the fat and fry for a few minutes. Also a delicacy which my mother learned from a French geologue who visited us for many years while doing his doctor thesis works here in southern Norway.
Personally I find endive and chicoree salads more than hundreds of times more bitter than dandelion. I guess it is the same bitter principle since they are quite near relatives.
If too bitter, try blanching the leaves for a few days so it turn white in color.
From: alf.christophersen@basalmed.uio.no (Alf Christophersen)
Or douse 'em in italian dressing.
From: devnull@clubvb.com (Ron Schwarz -- see sig to reply)
From: Xena@warrior.Com
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