Dandelions: Can you really eat them?

Has anyone noticed how the country is carpeted with dandelions at the moment – it’s totally nuts. They are a controversial weed that bring disdain to those longing for the perfect green lawn and also conjure up strange childhood memories of bedwetting if left under a pillow – that was my excuse anyway.

I have always thought that using flowers as an ingredient was a bit of a gimmick or an aesthetic flourish but I recently had a salad sprinkled with courgette flower and it was actually quite tasty.

I was however sceptical about eating dandelions on the basis of their odd smell. What I didn’t realise is that you don’t eat the flower but the root and leaves, although you can make dandelion wine from the yellow head.

Well before I could back out I discovered that I had all the ingredients for Wilted Dandelion with Ginger and Sweet Pepper and all the dandelions imaginable staring back at me from the garden.

Taken from the foragers recipe book Wild Garlic, Gooseberries and Me by Dennis Cotter, the dish was surprisingly good with a well balanced flavour from the sweetness of the pepper and the bitterness of the dandelion – an essential sweetness which makes the weed palatable. This simple dish convinced me that the humble dandelion is a legitimate ingredient and completely free.

If you would like to try a more adventurous dish check out Dandelion Salad with Quail Eggs, Almonds, Blood Orange and Sherry-orange Dressing.

Wilted Dandelion with ginger and Sweet Pepper

Serves 4 as a side

Ingredients:

• 600g dandelion leaves, washed
• Olive Oil
• 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 sweet red or yellow pepper, quartered, seeded and sliced
• 1 garlic glove, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh root ginger
• Salt
• 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 tsp caster sugar

1. Chop any large dandelion leaves in half and use only a little of the stalk below the leaf.
2. Heat a little olive oil in a shallow pan, toss in the onion and pepper and cook for 2 minutes over a medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, dandelion leaves and a pinch of salt and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes. Add a splash of water occasionally if the pan is getting too dry. When the dandelion is tender, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the balsamic vinegar and serve.

Dandelion Salad with Quail Eggs, Almonds, Blood Orange and Sherry-orange Dressing

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 quail eggs
• 50ml sherry vinegar
• Zest and juice of ½ blood orange
• 150ml olive oil
• 2 whole blood orange
• 600g dandelion leaves, washed
• 1 shallot, finely diced
• 2 tbsp flaked almonds, lightly toasted

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil, carefully lower in the quail eggs and boil for 2 minutes, then cool them in a bowl of cold water. Peel and halve the eggs.
2. Whisk or shake the vinegar, orange zest and juice and the olive oil together to make the dressing.
3. Peel the oranges with a knife and cut out the segments, leaving the pith that separates them behind.
4. Toss the leaves, diced shallot and orange segments with the dressing, then divide between four plates. Scatter over the almonds and some quail eggs into each salad.