Tasty Tuesday Recipe Features Local Dandelions

Dandelions:Discarded Weeds Offer Nutritional Benefits!

Dandelion, once so prized as a medicinal plant, that settlers brought it to North America, has been long overlooked by many as a food source.
According to the Canadian Nutrient File (CNF) at Health Canada, Dandelion greens pack a powerful nutrient punch.Dandelions are rich in calcium, iron, magnesium, essential B vitamins,and higher in Vitamin A than carrots,and higher in Vitamin A than carrots. Efficient foragers put every part of the dente de lion to use.

Foraging and Growing Dandelions

Available as a continual crop from early spring till autumn,dandelion greens, best enjoyed before flower buds have begun pushing up from the crown,make a very special addition to meals, either raw in a salad or cooked, like spinach.
When the cheery yellow flowers begin to bloom, the leaves become bitter. Then the multi-petalled dandelion blossoms can be added fresh to salads, cooked,or made into wine.
Dandelion roots can be roasted and ground for dandelion coffee, or mixed with chicory or even real coffee. Roots are used for many medicinal purposes, and are particularly prized in Chinese herbal medicine as alterative, stomachic and tonic .They are used a simple bitter and for treatment of chronic liver and kidney problems. Pissenlit,the modern French name for dandelion, means “wet the bed.” since both leaves and root, can be a mild diuretic, helping your body remove excess water.

Growing Dandelions

If you are harvesting wild dandelions in a natural setting, you will need to ascertain that they have not been exposed to pesticides or fertilizers. Alternatively, you can sow seeds in your garden. You can order gourmet French dandelion seeds from Richters Seeds, our closest major seed distributer, or make a donation to keep the Omemee Pigeon eFyer afloat,and we’ll send you some seeds from our next common lawn crop.(Sorry we can’t offer Richter’s famous seed guarantee,but your purchases through our links will help keep the Omemee Pigeon flying!)

Picking Dandelions

Like most greens, dandelion greens are best picked in the morning,before the sun’s rays get strong. Greens tend to wilt under the intense sun. Select a clump with new leaves where that have not yet budded. Tender green leaves are sweet; whereas older leaves and leaves from plants with flowers are bitter.

Dandelion Salad with Local Feta and Honey Dressing

Dandelions , the symbol of Faithfulness and happiness, make this a very appropriate salad to offer at a June Wedding. This recipe serves 2, increase quantities for catering purposes.

Ingredients

2 strips Ontario Bacon
dash Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp tbsp dijon mustard (honey)
2 tsp Burke’s honey
Sprinkle of extra virgin olive oil
salt
pepper
1 35 oz Celebration feta cheese (crumbled) (from Mariposa Dairy)
1/4 red onion (thinly sliced)
4 Ontario Mushroons (sliced)
3 1/4 cup light green dandelion greens (young dandelion greens rinsed and dried)
dandelion flowers (garnish, petals only-remove the green calyx)
Method:
1 Fry bacon until crisp, drain and crumble.
2 Whisk vinegar, mustard and honey into bacon drippings in skillet
3 Add olive oil.salt and pepper, keep this dressing warm.
4 Toss the greens with bacon, mushrooms, onions and cheese in a bowl.
5 Pour the warm dressing over greens and serve.
5 Garnish with flower petals.
Resources:
Dandelion greens, raw
Richters Herbs-Questions and Answers
Cached version of Small Footprint Family
Recipe adapted from Wilted Dandelion Salad With Feta Cheese
Purchases of the following from Richters Seeds,will help keep the Omemee Pigeon
eFlyer Flying!