Dandelion Greens: Packed with Flavor and Nutrition

As a consumer, I am increasingly aware of the importance of eating locally grown, seasonal food, both from the perspective of my health, as well as the health of the environment. As a food lover, I am intensely aware of the importance of locally grown food because of its flavor. Produce that has stayed on the farm until it is fully ripe and then sold quickly tastes far superior to produce that has been picked early and then shipped across the globe.

That's why I love shopping at farmers' markets. It makes it very easy to know just exactly how fresh and seasonal my food is. Since I live in the northeast, I end up purchasing most of my produce in the grocery store during the winter months. Hence my joy when spring arrives. My haul from the farmers gets bigger and the grocery store bags get smaller. New delicious flavors abound.

One of the first greens to appear in the markets in the spring is dandelion. Dandelion greens have a slight bitter flavor that is somewhat similar to broccoli rabe. If you haven't yet tried dandelion greens, you are missing out on a delicious as well as nutritious food.

Using Dandelion Greens

Eaten raw, they are wonderful tossed into salads where they add spice and interest. Lightly boiled, sprinkled with salt and a bit of cider vinegar make an easy and delicious side dish. In France, where dandelion greens are still very popular - they are often lightly sautéed with bacon and garlic. They can also be used as a substitute for spinach, swiss chard and kale in almost any dish.

Nutritional Highlights

Dandelion greens are a nutritional powerhouse. The plant has been used since antiquity as a diuretic, a liver tonic, to treat skin conditions and a whole host of other health problems.

They are packed with vitamins and minerals. One cup of cooked dandelion greens has more calcium than a cup of cottage cheese but only 34 calories. It provides 12% of the fiber, 19% of the iron and 28% of the Vitamin C that (averaging for adults and children) the USDA suggests that we get in our diets each day. Dandelion provides more vitamin A than an equal amount of kale, collard greens or summer squash, giving you 85% of the daily recommended intake.

The one cup serving also contains 2.1 grams of protein, many minerals including potassium, magnesium and phosphorous as well as vitamin E, thiamin, riboflavin, B-6 and folate.

The Harvest

Dandelion greens have an incredibly short growing season. As soon as the weather begins to warm up the plant sends out leaves. These tender young leaves are delicious, as the season progresses, the leaves grow bigger and increasingly bitter, and once the plant flowers - they become quite bitter. (At this point the flowers themselves and the tap root are the part of the plant that we eat.) But let's stick to the greens.

The dandelion leaves that you buy in the market are the same ones that you struggle to dig up from your yard because they ruin the appearance of your lawn.

You can harvest the greens that are growing around your house, but you must not eat them if your lawn is chemically treated (or if your neighbor's is). If you know that the area around your house is pesticide free - feel free to grab a paring knife and hunt for the greens. Look for smooth, small leaves 3-5 inches in length.

Unlike with mushrooms, you don't have to worry about harvesting them in the wild, there are many different varieties of dandelion greens but none of them are poisonous.

Purchasing and Storage

Just as there can be many varieties growing in your yard, there are many different types of dandelion greens that you can purchase. The leaves can be a bit rounded or quite pointed and the stems can be either red or white. But it is the size of the leaf that is most important to look for when buying dandelion, the larger leaves are more bitter.

When you get the greens home, don't wash them until you are ready to use them, washing them can bruise them and cause them to decay. Simply wrap them in a damp paper towel and put them in a plastic bag. (Leaves continue to take in CO2 and give off oxygen even after they are harvested. This process is called respiration and it ends up causing the plant to lose water. When they are wrapped in plastic bags, they don't have access to the air and therefore don't lose as much water.) The greens will hold in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Once you are ready to use them, they must be washed carefully because they can be quite sandy. To wash dandelion greens (or any other leafy green) fill a large pot or bowl with cold water and place the leaves into the bowl. Swish them around to loosen the sand. Since the sand is heavy, it will fall to the bottom of the bowl and the leaves will float on top. Place a strainer next to the bowl and pull the leaves out and place them in the strainer. Don't pour the leaves and dirty water into the strainer because you will just pour all of the sand back into the greens. Rinse the bowl, refill with water and repeat until they are clean.

Rustic Dandelion Green and Potato Soup
By Amy Topel

Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 onions, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
3 russet potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock
1 bunch dandelion greens, cut into 1" pieces
salt and pepper to taste

Method
Heat the oil in a medium size pot, add the onion and garlic and cook over low heat until they are translucent. If they start to brown, add a bit of water and cover them. Season with salt and pepper (but remember that canned chicken stock can be quite salty). Add the potatoes and stock and cook until the potatoes are almost soft. Add the greens and cook for 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings and serve.

The following recipes are from Chef Kyle Shadix, CCC, MS, RD is one of a handful of certified chefs in America who is also a registered dietitian/nutritionist. For more on Chef Kyle, go to: www.chefkyle.com

Sautéed Garlicky Dandelion Greens

Ingredients
2 lb dandelion greens, tough stems removed and leaves cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
Cook greens in boiling water for about 4 minutes, and then drain in a colander. Rinse under cold water to stop cooking and drain well.

Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium low heat; add garlic, and gently cook for about 10 minutes making sure garlic does not brown. Increase heat to moderately high, then add greens, and salt and sauté, about 4 minutes.

Dandelion Greens with Warm Balsamic Toasted Pecan Vinaigrette

Ingredients
2-3 pounds dandelion greens
garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup toasted pecans
1 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
fresh black pepper to taste

Method
Cut top 5 inches from greens and reserve leaves. Discard tough stems and ribs. Rinse leaves well, making sure to remove any remaining grit. Cut the leaves into bite sized pieces.

For the dressing, in a sauté pan heat garlic and nuts in oil over medium heat, stirring, until garlic is golden. Stir in vinegar and fresh-cracked pepper to taste.

Pour hot vinaigrette over greens and toss to combine.

White Bean Soup with Dandelion

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 (16-ounce) cans white cannellini beans, drained
4 fresh sage leaves, chopped
1/2 pound of fresh dandelion green tops, sliced into long strips

Method
Sauté onion and carrots in olive oil, cover and simmer 5 minutes or until tender.

Add the garlic and sauté for about 30 seconds. In a food processor, puree 1 can of the beans with the broth, and add this to the onion-carrot-garlic mixture. Then add the other can of beans, sage, and parsley. Simmer 30 minutes on low; you may need to add more stock if the soup is too thick. Garnish with fresh Parmesan cheese.