COLUMNIST: JANICE CLYNE
The entire dandelion plant is edible, from its bitter root and leaves to its softly sweet flowers, so make use of this rather wonderful early food source which grows everywhere, is easy to identify, and has so many health benefits.
Here are my dandelion recipes, I hope you give them a go!
Dandelion leaves can be very bitter, which is in part why they are so beneficial for our health, supporting digestion and detoxification of our liver, kidneys, and gall bladder. Best picked in spring when the leaves are young and less bitter, they can be added to salads, pestos, and soups, lightly steamed or stir fried with other strong flavours to counteract the assertive bitterness - or cooked up in this Braised Spring Greens recipe.
Pick the leaves before the flowers appear as the taste will be less bitter and more tender. The central rib can be removed from bigger leaves, which is the most bitter part. Mixing dandelions with other spring greens like wild garlic, ground elder, nettles, 3 cornered, and few flowered leek is a good way to dilute the bitterness and add diversity to our diet.
This is a really simple dish using dandelion leaves or any spring greens growing in the garden. Adding a sprinkling of chilli flakes, some punchy garlic and lemon juice, zest, or preserved lemon really lifts this dish which is perfect as a light lunch with some sourdough bread or eaten as a side dish.
A wee drizzle of your best extra virgin olive oil and some toasted nuts elevates it even further.
a colander full of spring greens
2 shallots, finely sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon chilli flakes
a can of butter beans or cannellini beans, drained
salt and freshly ground black pepper
juice and zest of 1⁄2 a lemon or 1⁄2 preserved lemon diced small
1⁄4 cup of water or veggie stock
a handful of toasted walnuts, pine nuts, or hazelnuts (optional)
In a wide frying pan, warm the olive oil and sauté the shallots and garlic with the chilli flakes and a good pinch of salt for a few minutes.
Toss in the coarsely chopped greens and stir fry for about a minute.
Add the beans and stock or water, and cook on low until the beans are warmed through and the liquid has mostly evaporated.
Adjust seasoning, then add the lemon juice and zest or the preserved lemon.
Transfer to a serving dish and drizzle with your best extra virgin oil and some toasted nuts (optional).
Few people realise that dandelion flowers, packed with polyphenols, are also edible and can be used in a myriad of ways.
Add the petals to salads, potato salad, cookies, and shortbread. My favourite way to use dandelion flowers is in this dandelion chutney recipe which is delicious and a fabulous way of incorporating some of the awesome powers of the mighty dandelion into our lives.
This chutney is fabulous with crackers and cheese, veggie burgers, salads, with veggie sausage rolls, or dolloped on wraps and sandwiches.
2 or 3 cups of dandelion flowers
1 red onion, diced
2 eating apples, peeled and diced
1 thumb sized piece of zested ginger
1⁄4 cup of goji berries
80g dried fruit, dates, figs or raisins, chopped
200ml apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon white mustard seeds
1 teaspoon salt
75-100g brown sugar
2 bay leaves
zest of a lemon or lime (optional)
Remove any extra wee green bits from the flowers but don’t remove the green base bit or the flowers will all fall apart, leave them whole.
Add the ingredients to a small pot, apart from the dandelions, bring to a gentle simmer for around 15 minutes, then add the dandelions and continue to simmer for another 15 minutes.
Cool and transfer to a glass jar and store in the fridge. It should keep for around 2 to 3 weeks.
Bear in mind that the flowers are an important early food source for bees so harvest them mindfully and leave plenty for our pollinators, although they are rather prolific so over-harvesting is rarely a problem.
Don’t pick from roadsides, where they could absorb toxic fumes from the traffic and dogs are likely to have peed on them.
As a qualified food scientist, gut health guru, supporter of plant-based locally sourced seasonal food, a fermentista, and foraging fanatic, Janice Clyne is passionate about inspiring, informing, and motivating change in health and eating habits - delivering vibrant good health, through her Wellness Hub and 'Nourished by Nature' skills, expertise, and experience.
Curious about eating weeds and how good they are for gut health, listen in to Janice's wisdom on the Scotland Grows Show.