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Dandelion Greens


canucklehead

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Due to our gardening prowness :raz: - we have a bumper crope of wild organic dandelion greens growing in the front lawn. The latest Saveur reminded me that dandelion greens are actually edible. But they did not have a tonne of recipes.

If this topic has been discussed before - please point out the thread to me.

But - what does one do with dandelion greens. My brother has been nibbling the odd raw leaf - but I find it a little bitter to have a platefull of raw greens. I figure the acid test of whether I can eat large volumes of it - is to saute with garlic and evoo or butter. (if garlic and butter can't make something taste good - nothing can).

Are there other recipes that I should be thinking of? I figure that eating the suckers would be at least some form of victory (instead of digging them out all the time).

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You want to pick the leaves young, preferably before the plants flower. When the flowers turn to seed, the leaves will be unpalatably bitter. If the leaves are young enough, you don't need to wilt them. I like serving them as a starter, dressed in olive oil and lemon juice and topped with a hunk of smoked fish. Or make a lunch salad with garlic crutons, lardons (parboiled and sautéed bacon chunks) and wedges of hard-cooked egg. Wilted in olive oil with or without garlic and seasoned or not with a splash of vinegar, they make a nice bed on which to lay grilled or roasted salmon.

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You can also get seeds of the French dandelions which are longer, more tender and less bitter. They grow in window boxes, pots or will even sprout on a mat of damp paper towels on a tray. This way you get very clean baby greens that are not at all bitter.

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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Due to our gardening prowness  :raz:  - we have a bumper crope of wild organic dandelion greens growing in the front lawn. 

Unless you're lawn is truly organic, I would seriously consider not eating them especially if your lawn has been treated for insects. Find a nice field somewhere(there are many in my area) and snag them when they're nice and young.

President

Les Marmitons-NJ

Johnson and Wales

Class of '85

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Due to our gardening prowness  :raz:   - we have a bumper crope of wild organic dandelion greens growing in the front lawn. 

Unless you're lawn is truly organic, I would seriously consider not eating them especially if your lawn has been treated for insects. Find a nice field somewhere(there are many in my area) and snag them when they're nice and young.

The lawn is TRULY organic - by neglect in my case. Nothing is done to it and living in Vancouver guarantees alot of rain - and dandelions. We live at the end of a cul-de-sac, so very little traffic.

Luckily - the lawn is not visible from the street, and the landscaping looks good otherwise. I am the kind of neighbour that when people look at the grass - heads are shaking in disdain.

Scott123 - JUICE them? That is soo healthy - just thinking about it has lowered my blood pressure.

Daniel - looks excellent! Does stewing the leaves take out some of the bitterness? Break out the weed wacker.

Thanks for all of the great suggestions.

Edited by canucklehead (log)
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I just did this this weekend. I picked a bunch of what I though were young enough dandelion greens for a salad, but they were still a little too bitter for a stand-alone salad, so I cooked them. I browned som bacon and shallots, deglazed with dry vermouth (or white wine) and added the greens and salt. I think the sweetness and acidity added by the wine helps counteract the bitterness. For bigger dandelions, like those shown in Danel's picture are usually stewed or blanched before stir-frying to reduce bitterness.

You can also batter and fry the flowers, or use the petals to flavor other dishes. They're pretty good in pancakes.

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Oh, please, please please! Will someone make this for me? Every two years my husband declares war to the death on dandelions, and spreads Weed and Feed with grim satisfaction. Which means that every other year I have a skanky dandelion-strewed front lawn, but I'm terrified that the chemicals are too new.

From Marcia's Adams's Heartland: Aunt Oma's Dandelion Wine

2 qts. Dandelion blossoms

1 gallon water

2 oranges, coarsely chopped

2 lemons, coarsely chopped

4 lbs. sugar

Place the stemless flowers in a large bowl or crock. Bring the water to a boil and pour over the blossoms. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit for 36 hours, stirring a couple of times

Strain through cheesecloth, and return to the crock with the lemons, oranges and sugar. Cover and allow to ferment, in a cool place, for 2 weeks. Strain again and return to the crock to ferment . When the bubbling stops and the wine is clear, it is ready to be bottled or drunk. "How long this takes varies considerably--it can be several weeks more."

It sounds like a ratafia, actually. I've always wanted to taste Dandelion Wine--let me taste vicariously.

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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My mom was just bemoaning the fact that her less than desirable neighbors have let their lawn turn to dandelions. Now I have a suggestion for her. Anyone know if the chemicals from grow-ops could affect the lawn? :raz:

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Koreans treat dandelion greens as a vegetable and an herb. To me they taste like chicory and endive, with a more bitter tinge and heartiness. They can be used in salads, steamed, sauteed, added to soups/stews, raw as part of greens and herbs in a ssamg jang spread, added to hwedupbap...

We used to grow them in our backyard in the mid 70's when they weren't available at supermarkets around here.

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Maggie, I made that dandelion wine once.  It reminded me of Uncle Rudy's silage pit.  Yack.

Yack? Yikes. Well, thanks for the heads-up Girlfriend!

Margaret McArthur

"Take it easy, but take it."

Studs Terkel

1912-2008

A sensational tennis blog from freakyfrites

margaretmcarthur.com

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You can buy dandelion wine from the Amana Colonies in Iowa here. I think it is better than the sweet fruit varieties of wine they make, but it is definately different and not what most people would think of when they think wine. The rhubarb wine is also fairly interesting. The rest of the fruit wines taste like ridiculously sweet wine coolers to me, although the cranberry tastes just like regular cranberry cocktail to me.

Back on the subject of dandelions I just found out that you can make dandelion jelly, much as you would violet jelly and I think I will try my hand at that. By the way, I've been eating a lot of violet and curly dock salad recently.

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We grow an Italian culinary variety of dandelion, a cousin of the weed found in lawns in the US. (I don't know about the weeds in other countries...) Here's a photo, the variety is 'Catalogna'. This is much much better eating than the weeds, for wine and jelly it may not make as much of a difference.

cg

dandelion.jpg

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Yes, the root is edible and is considered to have magical herbal benifits. It is fairly bitter, like most of the dandelion. I have added it to soup once, as you would burdock. I found, however, that digging the roots of both dandlion and burdock is much more trouble than it is worth. My original intention was to dig enough dandelion roots to roast them and use them like you would chickory as a coffee amendment. After three or four measly roots I decided the chickory from the store for a little over a dollar was the best deal I'd seen in a long time.

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If you look up Elie's (Foodman's) recipe for spinach pies in the Middle East forum or on eCGI...the echt Lebanese form of this dish is made with foraged spring greens, including very often dandelion. Mix it with escarole to cut the bitterness, and you can also add chard, sorrel would be nice, etc.

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Due to our gardening prowness  :raz:  - we have a bumper crope of wild organic dandelion greens growing in the front lawn. 

Unless you're lawn is truly organic, I would seriously consider not eating them especially if your lawn has been treated for insects. Find a nice field somewhere(there are many in my area) and snag them when they're nice and young.

The lawn is TRULY organic - by neglect in my case. Nothing is done to it and living in Vancouver guarantees alot of rain - and dandelions. We live at the end of a cul-de-sac, so very little traffic.

Luckily - the lawn is not visible from the street, and the landscaping looks good otherwise. I am the kind of neighbour that when people look at the grass - heads are shaking in disdain.

Scott123 - JUICE them? That is soo healthy - just thinking about it has lowered my blood pressure.

Daniel - looks excellent! Does stewing the leaves take out some of the bitterness? Break out the weed wacker.

Thanks for all of the great suggestions.

they will be bitter just like chicory or frissee would be it has to be "Blanched" not the traditional way in water but by covering with something dark be it a pot or a black bag when they turned white most off the bitterness would off left then take your recipes and use I'm going for lardons of bacon and a balsamic dressing

hope this helps

Perfection cant be reached, but it can be strived for :huh:

Perfection cant be reached, but it can be strived for!
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