Recipe | Wild Greens | How to Cook Dandelion Greens & Recipes

How to Cook Dandelion Greens & Recipes

By Virginia Wright

Recipe: How to Cook Dandelion Greens

SummaryThere are various ways to cook dandelion greens, an edible weed, this post includes two of them- plain with butter or olive oil and tossed with bacon. When I make these recipes I use dandelions out of my yard that has not been treated with any chemicals. Also, I use organic butter, organic extra-virgin olive oil, organic hot red pepper flakes, and uncured nitrite and nitrate-free bacon with no artificial preservatives.

Ingredients

  • Dandelion Greens
  • Bacon
  • Hot Red Pepper Flakes
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Butter
  • Olive oil

Instructions 

  1. Gather, wash, and cook greens.
  2. Drain cooked dandelion greens well.
  3. Serve with butter or a drizzle of olive oil.
  4. Dash of salt and pepper, to taste.
  5. For serving dandelion greens w/ bacon & hot red pepper flake follow directions for cooking dandelion greens.
  6. Cut-up bacon in 1-inch pieces, cook well.
  7. Add drained dandelion greens to bacon, toss.
  8. Add a sprinkle of hot red pepper flakes.
  9. Dash of salt and pepper, to taste.

Preparation time: 30 minute(s) 

The number of servings (yield): Depends on the number of greens you gather.

How to Cook 

A handful of Greens © Virginia Wright

 

Shopping Bag of Greens © Virginia Wright

Dandelion Greens – Wrap your hand around the dandelion greens and make your cut at the base of the plant.

About Dandelion Greens – Pick a Bag Full In the spring of the year dandelion greens are found everywhere you look. It’s one of the first edible weeds that you can eat from the blossom (head) to the root.  

It’s a simple wild green to fix and can be used in many ways. Everything from tea to sauteing the roots. To get started, go find your dandelion patch– First, wrap your hand around the dandelion greens and make your first cut at the base of the plant. I use sharp kitchen scissors and cut leaves enough to fill a plastic shopping bag full.

Every spring, we harvest this “free” delectable wild green when there isn’t anything else growing. Once I get our bag of greens, I clean one side of the kitchen sink, then fill it with cold water. The leaves are placed in the water and cleaned by swishing them well. I use a very large kettle with a lid to put greens in.

DSCF2800
Wash greens thoroughly. © Virginia Wright

You can just taste the healthiness in these wild greens, and is a great edible weed that you can forage for in early spring!

Dandelion Greens w/ Bacon & Hot Red Pepper Flakes 

Follow all the same directions for cutting, cleaning, and cooking your greens. Drain. You should have about 4-cups of greens once boiled down.

Cut-up bacon in 1-inch pieces to cook
dandelion greens in. © Virginia Wright

Cut-up bacon in small 1-inch square pieces, fry until done.

Take your 4-cups of well-drained dandelion greens and place them in the frypan with cooked bacon and grease; toss.

Serving Suggestion: Serve dandelion greens hot; with a sprinkle of hot red pepper flakes, and a dash of salt and pepper.

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 © 2012-2020  Virginia Wright. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.

Recipe|Dandelions Batter-Fried Eating Wild-Dandelion Blossoms

Batter-Fried Dandelion Blossoms                                                                                        By Virginia Wright

Ingredients

  • 2 c dandelion blossoms
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 1 c milk
  • 1 c self-rise flour
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 1 tbsp onion powder
  • ¼ tsp cumin
  • 1 tbsp basil
  •  Light olive oil for sautéing
  • 1/2 tsp garlic salt

Instructions

When you go out hunting for your dandelion blossoms, you will need certain tools, scissors and a 2-cup measuring cup to collect your blossoms in.

1. Cut dandelion blossoms right under the base of the head, avoiding bitter stems. Pick blossoms just before using, as the blossoms will close up quickly after cutting.

Cutting Dandelions right under head of blossom. © Virginia Wright

2.  Fill a bowl with water, put blossoms in and rinse well; place on paper towels, and gently pat dry.

Rinsing Dandelion Blossoms.  © Virginia Wright


3. Beat the egg and milk in medium-size bowl; add flour, pepper, onion powder, garlic salt, and savory herbs– cumin and basil.

Dipping blossoms in batter. © Virginia Wright

4. Mix well. Dip each flower head into the batter, one at a time.

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Dip Blossoms and Pan Fry © Virginia Wright

5.  Sauté flower blossom in olive oil, until golden brown. Drain on paper towels lean brown paper bag. Serve hot.

Battered Fried Dandelion Blossoms © Virginia Wright

HELP SAVE THE HONEYBEES

I hope when you notice dandelion greens growing on your lawn that you do not kill them, besides being a nice early springtime treat to eat, the honeybees like the blossoms as well. Save a patch of grass for the honeybees!

COOKBOOK: Ayuh, Another Downeast Cookbook: Recipes From Maine                    Advertisement 

© 2012-2020  Virginia Wright. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.