Everyone loves dandelions. Let's face it, they are hard to resist. Their bright, sunny yellow blooms are sweet and look cute as a bouquet or a crown. They're our first bouquet to our moms. Yet Mom could have used them in cooking too. Dandelion may be a weed in the garden but it's a rose in the kitchen. You can make anything with it, from salad to wine to jelly.
The name dandelion comes from the leaves, so deeply toothed it resembled le dent de lion or lion's teeth in Old French. It''s a cousin of chicory, the plant used in making herbal coffee. It's a member of the family Taraxacum and has a long hollow stem and a basal rosette (the yellow bloom part). Harvest the leaves in early Spring or in late Fail before the flowers appear. They will have a bitter taste not unlike chicory and endive. However add them to a salad and they give it a new zing. Add it to miso soup for heartiness and some much needed vitamins. Its' intense flavor will meld with the the soup's milder tasting ingredients.
Unbeknownst to me you can also use the heads or flowers. Dandelion wine is made from them however you can also fry them. Using a simple batter and just hot olive oil you can fry the heads into crunchy little rounds for a summer cocktail party. The flower has an altogether different taste than the leaves and stem. It's sweeter without any aftertaste.
Remember your yard full of dandelions isn't just a future bouquet. They can be made into a variety of different dishes that are not only fum to eat but good for you. Start picking those little bursts of sunshine today!
Monday, April 20, 2009
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