Dandelion Greens

[cottagegardener]

Hi! I'm new here... Well I've never eaten dandelion greens before, but I just found a big one out in my garden (you know you're a vegan when you see a weed and think, "I want to EAT that!") So do I just pull it up and add it to my recipe du jour? (Or am I the only one who goes around trying to eat weeds?!)

Comments

[hannafrica]

I've heard that dandelion greens taste differently depending on the season. You may want to look into that.

[anonymous]

I found a recipe once that battered and fried them, like tempura and dipped them in an herb-sour cream dip.

[soulcatcher318]

Yeah.... if the dandelion grows near roads, sewers... or in yards and parks and things where they're likely to chemically sprayed and fertilized in the lawn, then avoid them... but otherwise, go for it! But be wary, the larger the leaf the more bitter they are, and I do mean BITTER!!! Oh man, I got a huge bunch of them one time, and the leaves were huge, and I cooked them up in a skillet with some oil and garlic and salt, and I couldn't stomach it at all! And I usually really like greens! You know how if you eat a whole lemon your mouth might feel kind of tight? Well the bitterness of those greens was even worse than the sourness of the sourest foods! I tried to force myself to eat it but my jaw seemed clenched against my will and i had to spit some back out. Bleh!

Now that I've shared that lovely story with you... lol... I still do recommend dandelion. They're ever so good for you so long as you get them from a clean source. Every part of the plant can be used. And the baby greens are very good in salad mixes!

[spacesquid]

young greens are nice aw, but biger ones are too bitter, so cook any which way.
lots of wild greens are good, particularly in spring. not sure where you are, but in Michigan the prarie plants are often nice in spring-- asters, goldenrods, colummbine... wild sorrell is a favorite. if it is little and you know (boldface, underline) its not poisonous or dangerous its likely worth a try. just spit it out if its bad, and if its good... its good

[pour_vrai]

I have nothing to contribute really, except a story about the time my grandpa came home from work and told his mother-in-law, my Sicilian great-gma, that the sandwich she had packed him had turned green and gone bad by lunchtime. He didn't realize she had cooked dandelion greens into it :P Of course that was an egg sandwich, so uh, I don't know how it might work for vegans. Perhaps throw it into a tofu scramble?