(HOST) With the arrival of warm weather, dandelions are everywhere, and commentator Henry Homeyer says that if you’re quick – and selective – it’s the perfect time to enjoy a distinctive springtime treat.
(HOMEYER) I try real hard to eat just locally grown, organic food. I cheat, of course, when it comes to the local part. I eat chocolate and ginger and drink coffee and the occasional bottle of French red. But I plant a big vegetable garden each year and I freeze, can and dehydrate much of our garden’s bounty. I support the local farmers market, buying our chicken, beef and pork from farmers who use no hormones or chemicals, and who let their animals outdoors to bask in the sun. I love fresh fiddleheads, and consider them a spring treat. But dandelions? I never found them palatable – until recently.
I was having breakfast with a bunch of guys the other day. One of my friends said that he and his wife had just finished off the last of their frozen dandelions. Frozen dandelions? I thought maybe I’d misunderstood. To me, dandelions have tasted bitter and nasty – until now.
I like the concept of having a lawn that’s chemical-free. A lawn so pristine that I can eat anything growing in it. So I have, on occasion, harvested and eaten dandelions from my lawn – but never really enjoyed them. I asked my friend if he’d show me how to harvest dandelions and explain how to prepare them. He did. We had them for dinner, and they were exquisite. Delicious. Mm-mm good.
The key to enjoying dandelions is picking them young, before they bloom, and knowing just how to harvest them. My friend Rev has an old table knife that he uses to slice through the tap root about an inch below the surface of the soil. He pulls up the dandelion, being careful not to let any dirt get onto the leaves. He peels back the small dirty leaves that grow closest to the root, pulling them towards it. He uses his knife to scrape off any dirt from the crown of the dandelion, which is bulbous and white, and grows just below the surface of the soil. He cuts off the rest of the tap root, and picks out any bits of grass from the cluster of green leaves. Finally he shakes off any soil that eluded his touch.
Rev left me with a basket of dandelion greens that I immediately rinsed, and cooked within the hour. I steamed them until tender and served them with a sprinkle of cider vinegar. And the great part is, I can go out and do it again tomorrow – not because I think it’s healthy, or to prove a point, but because the flavor of those fresh organic greens is absolutely fabulous. And since I’ve never used herbicides, fungicides or insecticides on my lawn, I know that whatever grows there is safe for us to eat. If your lawn is chemical free, dandelions should be tasty until they bloom. Bon appetit!
Henry Homeyer is a gardening writer and columnist.