Monday, April 25, 2011

Dandelion Leaf Recipes

Taraxacum officinale (Dandelion)
Here in Nova Scotia, dandelions are ready for picking! They provide us with the perfect tool for a spring cleanse - their leaves - just cut them at the crown and wash them thoroughly... more will grow back!

A wonderful, local herbalist, Jeanette Porrier, has provided these delicious Springtime recipes for us to savor!

Cooking with Dandelions
All parts of the dandelion are edible. Leaves are used as a vegetable; roots can be cooked for food or roasted and ground as a coffee substitute, and flowers used for wine.

When using the leaves pick when still young and tender before they have started to bloom. Harvest in clean areas away from major highways, dog doo, or pesticide application.

Dandelion Salad
Young dandelion leaves
1 Tbsp Extra virgin olive oil or to taste
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar or to taste
A few grains of salt

Clean dandelion leaves thoroughly. Sprinkle with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and toss.

Warm Dandelion Salad
(This is good when the dandelions are a little more mature)
1 Liter dandelion leaves, well washed
1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
A few grains sea salt

Steam dandelion leaves or cook in a small amount of water till tender. Drain. Add oil, vinegar and salt and toss. Serve warm.

Dandelion and Onion
1-2 Liters dandelion leaves, well washed
1 large onion, chopped
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Steam dandelion leaves or cook in a small amount of water till tender. Drain.
In a fry pan, cook chopped onion in oil until soft and slightly browned. Add cooked dandelion, salt and pepper and stir well together. Serve as a side dish.

If you would like to be added to Jeanette's seasonal e-mail newsletter, you may contact her directly:

HerbalWizdom Nature Therapy
Jeanette Poirier, CHT
Medical Herbalist
Blockhouse, NS
herbalwizdom@hotmail.com

1 comment:

SeaMaiden said...

Perfect timing! I'm supposed to get some tomorrow in my CSA :D

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