By Doann Houghton-Alico
What? You think there’s a typo in the headline? No, as it turns out, every bit of this plant is edible, and in France, certainly known as an international culinary center, they are grown as a commercial crop. In fact, the name is from the French dent de lion or lion’s tooth for their serrated leaves.
The deer and our climate and lack of water make picture-book green lawns a rarity here, but if you’re one who yearns for that, you hate them; even gardeners pull them up every chance they get. But wait! There’s another side to these ubiquitous plants.
Dandelions – kids love to blow the seeds around, but they have even better uses than that, for every part of the plant is edible. The scientific name is Taraxacum officinale, which translates as “official remedy for disorders.” They’re packed with vitamins and minerals. For example, compared to iceberg lettuce, for every 100 grams dandelions have 35 milligrams of vitamin C to iceberg’s six; and 14,000 units of vitamin A, compared to iceberg’s 330. If you don’t want to play with them, eat them, or use them to get well, at least put them on your compost pile. Here’s why: As many a gardener has noticed, dandelions are thieves as their tough root systems gather and store nutrients and trace minerals from the surrounding ground. In your compost pile they will decompose and release those nutrients back.
But before you throw it on the compost, consider some of these other uses. First a word of warning: don’t use any dandelions for compost or eating that have been treated with herbicides or pesticides. Most of those compounds are highly toxic to humans.
Let’s look at the leaves first, to be celebrated as one of the signs of spring, but also as a tasty green. It is important when using the leaves to collect young, fresh leaves. The older they are, the more bitter they will become, as with most greens. Here are a few ways to use the young green leaves. Be sure to wash and dry them first. The easiest way to use them is as an addition to any green or tossed salad. Or serve them as the only green with some crumbled bacon, a few chopped chives (or wild onion greens), and a light vinaigrette dressing such as two Tbs vinegar to one Tbs oil with a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper.
Cooked Dandelion Greens
Add one handful of leaves per person in a pot with only one to two Tbs water, a dash of salt, and one to two tsps extra virgin olive oil or butter. Cover and cook slowly, stirring occasionally until the leaves are tender. You can also steam them.
Dandelion Dip
This can be served with crackers or fresh, cut vegetables, such as baby carrots, broccoli flowers, and cherry tomatoes. Using a blender, add ½ cup young dandelion leaves, ½ cup low-fat cottage cheese (or regular if you prefer), two Tbs low- or non-fat plain yogurt (make sure it’s plain, not vanilla), a dash of salt and pepper, ½ tsp ground coriander seed (or substitute a dash of chili pepper if you would prefer a hotter spicy flavor), one Tbsp chopped chives (or wild onion tops or finely chopped onion) and blend until well mixed. This needs to be refrigerated until ready to use, but keeps for a few days. You can garnish it with paprika, chopped chives, or sesame seeds.
As you would expect for the lion in its name, the dandelion has a crown. Dig up a whole, developed plant. Not an easy job with that big long tap root, but we’ll have a use for that later. Look at the area between where the leaves connect and the root actually begins. This is the crown. Rinse it off thoroughly in a bucket of water, then snip off the leaves just where they start to turn green. Cut off the root just below the actual crown. You need some root to hold the crown together. Although dirt tends to accumulate in the crown, this is the pièce de résistance and worth every minute you spend cleaning it. It does need to be cooked first and tastes very much like artichoke hearts, but these are free! Here are a few ways to cook the crowns. You’ll need about six per person, depending on the size of the crowns and the appetites of those you’re serving.
Dandelion Crowns as a Side Dish
Put the appropriate amount of crowns in a pot with water just barely to cover and bring to a boil, simmer for five minutes, drain and repeat, this time add a dash of salt to the water (or if you prefer other seasoning, use that). Drain thoroughly after this second simmer; return to the pot, add a dash of olive oil or butter, and heat slowly on low until oil or butter is well mixed with the crowns. Serve immediately or save for the next recipe.
Marinated Dandelion Crowns
Be sure the crowns are drained of water thoroughly. In a ceramic or glass bowl or jar, whisk together ½ cup olive oil, ¼ cup vinegar, one tsp salt, ¼ tsp pepper, one tsp minced garlic, and a finely chopped small onion. Add the cooked, drained crowns and marinate at least ½ day or overnight before serving. Serve cold, but not so cold that the oil is congealed, or at room temperature
Now for the roots. Clean by scrubbing with a stiff brush, which removes the root hairs as well as the dirt. Spread on a cookie sheet and roast in a slow oven. Placing them in a oven that’s just been turned off after baking works fine. It doesn’t even have to be done all at one time. They are dry enough when they are a rich, chocolately brown and snap easily. In a coffee grinder, food mill or processor grind them until the consistency of a somewhat rough powder, like not-too-finely ground coffee. This mixture can then be used in a tea ball, slotted teaspoon, or filter through which you pour boiling water for a tasty caffeine-free drink. It can be cooled and served iced; you can add milk and sweetener, or a cinnamon stick, vanilla bean, or small amount of apple cider for a different flavored drink. If you don’t want to be bothered with the grinding, you can break up the dried roots in small pieces and with adequate cold water bring them to a boil and simmer until it reaches desired strength, which will vary depending on taste.
The flower, what of the bright, lovely flower? If you’re a wine maker, you can collect masses of these flowers and make a delightful yellow wine, either dry or sweet, depending on your predilections.
Dandelion Bud Omelet
Collect the buds (about five or six per person) before they’re ready to open, wash thoroughly and dry, then sauté in oil or butter for two to three minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure they get turned and cook on all sides. Remove from pan. Whisk eggs and a little milk in a bowl, and cook as for an omelet. Just before turning, add the buds and a little grated cheese, fold the omelet, finish cooking and serve. You can also just add the buds to scrambled eggs.
Someone once said that a rose in a cornfield is a weed. I would prefer to think of it as a pleasant surprise. Perhaps these recipes and uses for the dandelion will transform it from a weed to a pleasant surprise in your yard.
After ten years living at sea, poet/author Doann Houghton-Alico recently built a landlocked home in Chaffee County where she desperately is trying to make the adjustment from seaweed to tumbleweed.
