Can you eat dandy lion leaves? prepared how?!
Can you eat dandy lion leaves? prepared how?
Answers:
SWEET AND SOUR DANDELION GREENS
1 lb. dandelion greens (substitute escarole)
1/2 lb. sliced bacon
1/3 c. + 3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 c. cider vinegar
1 raw egg
2-3 hard boiled eggs
Thoroughly wash dandelion greens and tear in half. Set aside. In skillet, saute bacon until crisp. Drain on paper towels. Reserve 4 tablespoons bacon drippings and put in medium saucepan. Stir in sugar, flour, salt and pepper until smooth. Gradually stir in 1/2 cup water and vinegar. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture is thickened and comes to a boil.
In small bowl, with wire whisk or fork, beat egg well. Gradually beat in some of hot mixture. Return to rest of mixture in saucepan. Bring to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil gently for 4 minutes. Break crisp bacon into bite sized pieces and slice hard boiled eggs. Add with dandelion greens to boiling mixture. Stir several times or until greens are slightly wilted. Serve immediately.
You can, but don't pick just any leaves you find in the wild - you never know what kinds of chemicals they've been exposed to. You can buy them in grocery stores now. Young ones can be eaten raw in salads, and older tougher ones can be cooked like any other green (collard, kale, etc).
In 6th grade I learned you can eat the flower as long as there were no chemicals on it- but I am not sure about the leaves.
i don't know if you should eat the leaves, but dandelion wine is really good!
Cream of Dandelion Soup
4 cups chopped dandelion leaves
2 cups dandelion flower petals
2 cups dandelion buds
1 Tbsp butter or olive oil
1 cup chopped wild leeks (or onions)
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups water
2 cups half-n-half or heavy cream
2 tsp salt
1. Gently boil dandelion leaves in 6 cups water. Pour off bitter water. Boil gently a second time, pour off bitter water.
2. In a heavy-bottom soup pot, sauté wild leeks and garlic in butter or olive oil until tender.
3. Add 4 cups water.
4. Add dandelion leaves, flower petals, buds, and salt.
5. Simmer gently 45 minutes or so.
6. Add cream and simmer a few minutes more.
Garnish with flower petals.
Pumpkin-Dandelion Soup
Prepare in advance:
1 large handful Dandelion greens:
Chop leaves into bite-sized pieces. Cook in boiling water until tender. Pour off water and taste. If they seem too bitter for your taste, boil again and strain.
1 small pumpkin:
Bake whole pumpkin on baking sheet at 350° for 1 hour or until completely soft, so that you can put a fork or knife easily through it. Let cool. Cut in half and discard seeds. Rind will peel easily.
1 medium to large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. butter or olive oil
6 cups water
4 cups mashed pumpkin, prepared as above
1 cup heavy cream
? tsp nutmeg
1? tsp salt
1. Sauté onion and garlic in oil or butter in a heavy-bottomed soup pot.
2. Add 6 cups water
3. Add dandelion greens and pureed pumpkin to soup. Stir well.
4. Add salt. Cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Just before serving add 1 cup heavy cream and ? tsp nutmeg.
Dandelion Egg Salad
4 hard-boiled eggs
2/3 cup dandelion greens, chopped and cooked
1 tsp horseradish
1 Tbsp fresh chives
? cup mayonnaise
1. Chop eggs coarsely.
2. Add Dandelion greens, chives, and horseradish. Mix gently.
3. Add mayonnaise and mix just enough to coat ingredients.
Best time to prepare dandy lion leaves is right before full bloom of the yellow flower...and they way that I prepare it is to use chopped uncooked bacon, some chopped onion, then the leaves after a usable amount of oil comes out of the bacon which is about half way cooked...just cook long enough til the leaves start to wilt and you're done. Enjoy.