Stop, gardener! Stay your hand. Don't spray those dandelions; eat them!
If you've wondered about how to harvest dandelions and what recipes to use for them, join me for an introduction to dandelion feasting. Not only are they delicious and nutritious, but you will eat for free while reducing your carbon foot print and getting healthy exercise. Sounds like a win-win--win-win-win to me!
Harvesting dandelions
A few simple tricks make gathering dandelion greens easy and efficient. The goal is to harvest the plant as a rosette or with its root attached (the rosette is useful as we'll see later; getting the root helps if your goal is eradication and not just a sustainable harvest).
In an unsprayed garden or lawn, scan for dandelion plants. When you spot one, use your fingers to comb other plants away from the rosette, and then gather the leaves into a bundle, grasp it firmly as close to the ground as you can, and pull up slowly but firmly. You will almost always be able to get at least the rosette up intact. Holding the rosette at the base, shake off any loose pine needles or other plant debris. As you gather rosettes, lay them pointing the same way with the bases of the rosettes all on the same side.
Depending on how soft the ground is and so on, you may also get some or all of the root. This only matters if over time you would like to get rid of the dandelions in your plot. A good weeding tool will help get that root if you want it.
Until you get the hang of it you will probably get loose leaves several times. That's fine; when I describe the cleaning and storage those leaves will be readily cleaned and trimmed, too.
Washing dandelions the first time
When you've gathered all you want for the day, bring the dandelions inside and soak them in a large vessel in cool water. For an ordinary batch I use a large steel bowl; today for a harvest from my son's garden I used a spaghetti cooker. Swish the greens around in the water to rinse off the dirt at the roots and loosen the non-dandelion debris. Pick up a rosette, swish in the water, pick off any non-dandelion matter and lay it on the counter. Repeat for the rest of the rosettes. Any loose leaves left over can be gathered together and laid beside the rosettes.
Storing dandelion greens
Loose leaves keep well in the frig in a plastic bag for several days. I discovered to my happy surprise that the rosettes keep for over a week; I have not yet found a time too long. I suspect that being connected at the base protects the leaves the way that being in a head protects lettuce leaves. Skip this step if you're using the greens the day you harvest them.
Trimming dandelions and the second wash
When you want to use them, take the greens out of the frig. Take up a rosette and run your fingers down to where the leaf broadens out. This may be a quarter inch from the base for a compact rosette or several inches for long, slender leaves. Holding the leaves firmly at this point, cut off the broad part of the leaves with a garden clipper into a salad spinner and discard the base. Finish cleaning the greens the way you would any other greens.
Eating dandelions
We are just starting to discover all the ways to eat dandelion greens. The small tender ones are easily added into mixed greens for a tossed salad, up to a quarter of the salad. The lentil salad (below) uses more greens and we happily eat it as often as twice a week. When you have lots of greens, you can make stir fried greens with garlic and feta (below). I'm looking forward to hearing how you love to eat them!
Dandelion recipes
Lentil Blue Cheese Salad
Lentils:
- 1 cup dry lentils
- 13/4 cup water
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled but not crushed
- 2 bouillon cubes
Bring water and lentils to a boil, add garlic and
boullion cubes. Simmer for 20 minutes. Lentils
should be cooked but firm.
Drain. Chill in refrigerator before use. You can
freeze for much later use. We often make a double batch.
Salad:
- 2-3 cups finely chopped green curly leaf endive, minced dandelion greens or other bitter green like mizuna. Up to 1/3 very finely chopped parsley is also excellent. A somewhat bitter green is best. If you don’t spray your lawn, dandelion greens make a delicious substitute for endive.
- 2 oz blue cheese crumbles (we use Maytag, from our co-op)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Put half of the chilled lentils in a large bowl (save the remainder in the refrigerator or freezer for another day). Mash two of the cooked garlic cloves and add to bowl along with blue cheese. Add oil and vinegar. Mix well. Add chopped greens and mix completely.
Serves 2-3
Feta Garlic Dandelion Greens
In a heavy skillet, lightly saute one or two garlic cloves in oil. Stir in several cups finely chopped or minced dandelion greens. Their volume will reduce radically with cooking. When the greens are cooked, added crumbled feta cheese and stir into the sauted greens. This mix can also be put into calzones.
From the comments:
Dandelion wine
Squid with chilies and greens
Grandmother's variations on a theme
Dandelion muffins (a particularly charming one)
Recipes from bloom to root
What about dandelion wine?
Haven't the foggiest! If you know something, please let us know too!
Are dandelion roots a good substitute for chicory?
Some folks claim you can roast dandelion roots as a substitute for chicory (which is an extender for coffee - go figure). As my husband doesn't like chicory we haven't tried this. If you have, share your experiences.
How nutritious are dandelions?
Very!!
