DANDELION
Taraxacum officinale
This is one of my favorite plants! You can eat every part including the roots, leaves, and flowers. It grows everywhere! Where I live dandelions bloom almost all year long. I am still learning all of the uses that this plant has and I am going to take you, very briefly, though just a few of them. If you are interested in learning more I will give you two great books that will go into much more depth.
FLOWERS
The flowers of the dandelion often remind me of little suns. I think of these little suns shining a little light into a dark room because a tea made from about a handful of flowers (fresh or dry) (boil water and pour over flowers-steep for about 30 minutes covered) can help to relieve headaches, depression and more.
The oil made from these flowers is in my
Magic Muscle Balm It is one of the most wonderful infused oils you could make! (I will be doing a post on how to make an infused oil soon) This oil is great for any kind of muscle tension! It can help bring relief to backs, necks, knees, and even arthritic joints.
LEAVES
"Dandelion leaves are loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, B, C, and D, potassium, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. They are an excellent spring tonic, helping to revitalize the body and rejuvenate the liver. I eat them raw or cooked, brew them into infusions and use them in vinegars and tinctures....Dandelion leaves are gentle, yet fast-acting in helping to relive bloating, breast tenderness, and other problems associated with water retention"
***Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs by Gail Faith Edwards p. 102
ROOTS
"The roots are high in iron,manganese, phosphorus, protein, aluminum, and also contain: calcium, chromium,cobalt, magnesium, niacin,potassium, riboflavin, silicon, sodium,tin, zinc, and ascorbic acid"
***Healing Wise by Susun Weed p.143
"Dandelion root possesses considerable blood nourishing abilities. Its rich stores of potassium help insure a healthy heart. Regular use of dandelion root lowers cholesterol, brings down high blood pressure, and helps prevent arteriosclerosis. It is also a specific anti-rheumatic."
***Opening Our Wild Hearts to the Healing Herbs by Gail Faith Edwards p. 101
DANDELION KITCHEN
Tasty recipes from the book Healing Wise by Susun Weed!!
Very Fancy (but easy) Dandelion Salad
serves 4-6
***
4c/1 liter dandelion greens
4c/1 liter lettuce leaves
1 hard boiled egg
CROUTONS:
2 slices stale bread
2 tablespoons/30ml olive oil
garlic powder & salt to taste
DRESSING:
1/4c/60ml olive oil
1 tablespoon/15ml tamari
2 tsp/10ml lemon juice
Wash and dry greens; tear into bite-sized pieces in a blue or red bowl. Slice egg and add. Cut bread into small cubes and fry in oil until crisp. Sprinkle with garlic powder and salt. Make dressing in a small jar. Toss into salad just before serving; garnish with croutons and edible flowers (dandelion, violets etc..)
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes in the kitchen; ten minutes or so in the garden. Remember to make the hard-boiled egg ahead of time!
Fast Flower Fritters
serves 2 generously
***
1c/250ml whole wheat flour
2 tsp/10ml baking powder
pinch salt
1 egg
1/2c/125ml milk or water
2 tablespoons/30ml olive oil
1c/250ml yellow parts of dandelion flowers
Mix dry ingredients. Beat egg; add liquid and oil. Stir into dry mix. Stir in yellow florets. Cook like pancakes. Serve very hot with jam, syrup, or butter
Preparation time: When the dandelion is in full bloom I can pick a cup of blossoms in five minutes. Then it's another 15-25 minutes until the first fritters are hot off the griddle. For a super heart-healthy variation, leave out the egg and cook without any oil. The help of several children adds great joy to the preparation of this recipe.
Stir-Fry Dandelion Roots
serves 4
***
1 lb/475g young dandelion roots
6 oz/170g mushrooms
1 cup/250ml sliced onion
3 tablespoons/45ml olive oil
1 tbs/15ml dark sesame oil
Wash and chop young dandelion roots and leaves harvested from the early spring garden. Drain. Saute' onion and sliced mushrooms in oil until soft and a little brown. Add garlic and drained dandelion; cover and cook 5-10 minutes, until tender, stirring occasionally. Turn off heat; add tamari and dark sesame oil. Let sit a minute or two before serving.
Preparation time: 25-30 minutes in the kitchen, plus harvesting time in the garden. I usually make this a the same time I'm putting up spring-dug dandelion tincture.
Dandelion Dip
serves 2 for dinner, 6 for a party
***
1/4 cup/60ml yogurt
1/2c/125ml cottage cheese
1c/250ml dandelion greens
garlic powder
salt to taste
Mix cottage cheese and yogurt. Mince greens well, then add. (Or combine all ingredients in blender.) Season with garlic and salt. Serve with oatcakes (recipe, p.209) or corn chips.
Preparation time: Not much more than 10-15 minutes unless there's a particularly marvelous sunset that detains me whilst picking the greens.
Dandelion Coffee
serves 8
***
8Tbs/120ml roasted dandelion root
6 cups/1.5 liters water
Dig dandelion roots in autumn. Cut leaves off a short distance from root crown. Eat greens; dry roots whole. When roots are crisply dry, in about two weeks, roast them in a very slow oven. Check frequently and remove from heat as soon as dark. Grind whole roots as need arises. Brew in a percolator if at all possible.
Preparation time: From dried root to coffee cup in not that much longer than getting in a car and driving to the store, all in all. This drink is stimulating to the digestion, like coffee, but not to the nerves, so it helps you get a move on without getting stressed out.
Dandy Pumpkin Soup
serves 3-6
***
2c/500ml pumpkin cubed
4 cups/1 liter water
2c/500ml dandelion leaf
3 tablespoons/45ml olive oil
2c/500ml milk or water
salt to taste
Combine pumpkin pieces with water and finely chopped dandelion leaf in a large pot and simmer, covered, until tender. Meanwhile, saute' onion, and garlic if you like, just a little. For a smooth soup: put everything in a blender and blend, using liquid as needed. For chunky soup: blend most of pumpkin and dandelion, pour back in pot with remaining chunks. Add saute' and milk. Garnish with chrysanthemum petals.
Preparation time: 25-35 minutes. A surprisingly sweet soup with I sometimes spice up with fresh grated nutmeg. A delicious way to get ready for cold weather.
Dandelion Wine a' la Laughing Rock
***
2gal/8 litter crock
3-5 qts/3-5 liters blossoms
5 qts/5 liters water
3 pounds/1.5 kg sugar
1 organic orange
1 organic lemon
1pkg/8 grams live yeast
whole wheat bread toast
Find a field of dandelions in bloom on a glorious shining day. Follow the honey bees to the finest flowers. Pick them with a sweeping motion of your parted fingers, like a comb. I leave the green sepals on, but get rid of all stalks. Back home, put blossoms immediately into a large ceramic, glass, or plastic vessel. Boil water; pour over flowers. Cover your crock with cheese cloth. Stir daily for three days. On the fourth day, strain blossoms from liquid. Cook liquid with sugar and rind of citrus( omit rind if not organic) for 30-60 minutes. Return to crock. Add citrus juice. When liquid has cooled to blood temperature, soften yeast, spread on toast, and float toast in crock. Cover and let work two days. Strain. Return liquid to crock for one more day to settle. Filter into very clean bottles and cork lightly. Don't drink until winter solstice.
Preparation time: A week's worth of effort yields a drink not only delightful but good for your liver, as well.
Note on wildcrafting dandelions: Make sure to pick your dandelions 50 feet or more from any road and that they have not been sprayed by any herbicides or pesticides!
MORE DANDELION INFO TO CHECK OUT:
This is the very first book I ever read on herbs! This is a real good book. This book explains the Wise Women Way of herbalism, goes into detail on how to make teas, salves, oils, tinctures, and more, and describes in great depth several wonderful plants. The information in this book is presented in a friendly, funny, lively way. and it is packed full of it!!
I use this like a directory of herbs. This book gives you, in A-Z order, information on the history, uses, and a basic description of many plants and trees used in herbalism
