Title: You Know What You Can Do with That Dandelion...?
Categories: Vegetable Info
Yield: 4 Servings

Dandelions

The following is a collection of dandelion recipes, dandelion lore and general dandelion wisdom, collection from various semi-trstworthy sources.

The Flowers.

The flowers can be eaten as buds, at which point they are reportedly quite tasty and tender. Some people put the buds in pancake butter, according to one book.

The flowers, fully bloomed, can be batter fried in a sort of fritter. Remove the green bracts and dip the flowers in the batter of your choice. The following is recommended: Beat 1 egg with 1c milk Blend in 1 c flour, 1/2 t baking powder and 1/2t salt.

The flowers can also be added to salads as an edible garnish.

Dandelion Wine is made from the flowers. If you're feeling particularly motivated, here's how to go about making it: Gather 1 gallon of dandelion blossoms. In a large container, mix with: ~ 2 unpeeled lemons ~ 2 unpeeled oranges ~ 2 *peeled* grapefruit ~ 1 cup raisins ~ 1 cup sugar

Add boiling water to cover, stir, and let cool. Stir in a package of dry baking yeast. Cover. Stir daily for a week.

Strain the mixture through a couple layers of cheesecloth, squeezing well to extract all the juices. Add 4 cups or sugar- or to taste. Let this mix sit a further 5 days.

Now pour the filtered mix into bottles, but don't seal the bottles yet. Wait until all fermentation has ceased, then cork or otherwise seal the bottles, and let them age. How long? Well, the longer the better.

This is a rather labor intensive activity, which is why it seems to be restricted to people who have a lot of time on their hands.

Leaves

Young dandelion leaves can be eaten raw, as salad greens, or sauteed in a little fat and then cooked in a little water until tender. Older leaves are bitter and must be cooked in a couple changes of salted water.

When I was in the boy scouts (Troop 427, Detroit) we sauteed dandelion leaves in butter and served them with a dash of salt and pepper. I have absolutely no recollection of how they tasted. I do have a friend- a professor of Economics out east- who tells me he has gathered young leaves from his lawn and used them in salads. This type of eccentric behiavior is generally tolerated on college campuses.

Here's an untested (by me) recipe supplied by a correspondant out east:

Stewed Dandelion Leaves

450 g leaves 15 g butter 15 g flour 150ml stock 30 ml single cream Salt/Pepper

Wash leaves & soak in cold water for an hour/two. Drain & simmer just covered with boiling water & salt til tender (~20 min) Drain well & chop finely. Melt butter in a pan, add flour, then warm stock & cook till thickened. add cream, season, & dandelion leaves. Warm through & serve.

Crowns

The crown is the bit as the base of the leaves, just above the root. Crowns can be eaten raw- they are said to add a nice crunchy texture to salads, not terribly unlike water chestnuts- or they can be boiled until tender and eaten with butter and pepper.

Roots

The root of the dandelion can be roasted and ground to make a coffee like beverage, as can the roots of the chicory, to which the dandelion is related. They can also be scraped, boiled, sliced and sauteed, like carrots, or pickled.

Dandelion Seeds.

The seeds are said to be as palatable as any seeds you may find. I've left them for last, though, as no one seems to have a good idea as to how to actually seperate them from the cottony chaff they're attached to, or, for that matter,what to do with them once you've colelcted them.

The best suggestion seems to be to make a large pile of seeds and touch a match to it. This should quickly burn off the chaff and leave a pile of seeds that can be ground into flour, sprinkled in other foods or, I suppose, planted. From: Michael J Edelman

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