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What mother has never accepted the first bouquet from their child in the form of sunny yellow dandelions? The first spring flower has begun blooming in earnest along our driveway and under the back steps. There was a time when my husband would dig out the pull-behind tank and sprayer and precisely drive back and forth across the lawn spraying chemicals, which by morning forced the yellow heads of the dandelion to droop and eventually fall to their death.
Then one day, while surfing the net, JC discovered the importance of dandelions to the survival of the insect population. Since we are market gardeners, those buzzing bees and friends are vital to the pollination of squash, cucumbers and nearly every flowering plant on our property. Naturally, you will find articles on both sides of this issue. One states that dandelions do not supply the appropriate nutrients for bees. It does not, however, mention all other pollinating insects that may find the dandelion delectable. And, perhaps it is not the lack of nutrients that is detrimental to the bees, but the presence of chemicals ingested if they land on a dandelion. Speaking of ingesting dandelions, it would not be wise to eat these chemicals at your dinner table either. The dandelion is a member of the aster family and is regarded as a common herb rich in nutrients, including protein, calcium, iron, and Vitamins A and C. One of the plant’s common nicknames in French—pissenlit (pee-the-bed)—attests to dandelion’s use in traditional healing cultures as a valuable diuretic agent (rich in potassium). More and more people are trying dandelions while they wait impatiently for their garden lettuce to grow in early spring. Every part of the dandelion can be used in some way, shape, or form, but how do you know how or when to harvest it? Collect flowers as soon as they open, for they do not last long before forming seed heads. You should harvest the visible parts as soon as possible. Flowers can be used to infuse oil for soap making, infused vinegar, and other recipes like this traditional Scandinavian recipe from thenerdyfarmwife.com blog. Dandelion Syrup with Green Apples
Pour the mass through linen to strain so the juice is clear. It’s beautifully yellow. Weigh the juice and pour it back into the pot. Use the same amount of sugar as the juice weighs. Bring it to a boil until it thickens. Be careful not to let it boil for too long; it must not change color. Pour the syrup into scalded glasses, and voila, the syrup is done. It’s perfect for yogurt or pancakes. You can also use it for oven-baked beetroot, carrots, potatoes, or such; pour some syrup over the vegetables and into the oven. It tastes WONDERFUL. Another way to enjoy those beautiful flowers is fried blossoms. Fried Dandelion Blossoms
Dandelion leaves can be used in salads or stir-fries. Before harvesting the leaves, cover the plant with dark fabric to blanch them. This will reduce any bitterness. The youngest leaves are the tastiest, but mature leaves are still excellent sautéed. Or, you could make a healthy “green” soup for your seasonal spring detox. Dandelion Soup Ingredients:
Wash dandelion greens in warm water to remove dirt particles. Combine with cold water in a soup kettle and simmer, covered for 10 minutes. Drain. Press through a food mill and return to the kettle. Add stock and basil and simmer for 10 minutes. In a separate bowl, combine cream and egg yolk. Spoon ½ cup hot stock into cream mixture, blend with whisk, and return to kettle. Heat but do not boil. Garnish with croutons. (Also good cold.) If you love pasta, try this pesto recipe until the garlic scapes are ready to be trimmed. Dandelion Pesto
Yield: 3-1/2 cups If you try to eliminate the spread of dandelions in your garden and don’t want to spray them down, you can dig them out root and all when they first appear. Rather than throw those roots out, you can make dandelion root coffee. I know, it's not a substitute for a dark French roast, but why not try it? Dandelion Root Coffee Dandelions can be used for coffee in two ways: added to coffee (like chicory) or used alone as a coffee-like substitute. Coffee-Like Beverage Ingredients:
Scrub roots, drain, and place on a baking sheet. Roast at 150°F (65°C) until roots are dark and dry (about 4 hours). Cool and grind roots with a food blender. Store in a covered jar until used. Add 1 heaping teaspoon of roasted roots to 1 cup of water. Steep for 3 minutes. Strain and serve. Add cream and/or sugar to taste. Added to Ground Coffee Ingredients:
Scrub roots, drain, and place on a baking sheet. Roast at 150°F (65°C) until roots are dark and dry (about 4 hours). Cool and grind roots with a blender. Store in a covered jar until used. Brew coffee as usual, adding 1 teaspoon of roasted roots for each 6 cups. More or less root may be used depending on taste. As my life moves on, my children are grown with children of their own, but the memories of tight-fisted preschoolers proudly offering the gift of dandelion bouquets warms my heart, and I hope yours also.
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Spring seems to have come early to the western half of North Dakota. Warm weather and sunshiny days push farmers and gardeners to the brink in anticipation of planting season.
With this weirdly warm weather, the race is on a wee bit earlier than usual. You know that gardeners, in particular, are competitive by nature vying for the first person on Facebook to eat radishes. Farmers, gardeners, and general soil enthusiasts begin the season by looking at seed catalogs early in December. Like the old Sears and Roebuck catalog of yesterday, we drool over new vegetable varieties, seek out our old reliable cultivars, and calculate just how much soil we have to contain our ever-growing list of seeds and seedlings. There is never enough space for everything, ever. “I will not quit planting until every corner of my two acres has food and flowers growing on it,” she said to no one. Gardening is a single soul-satisfying occupation for some of us. Then we ordered from not one company, but several. Old standby varieties first, and then the newest and most recently offered heirlooms. Sometimes we select types just out of curiosity. When those seeds arrive, we arrange and plot and plan future homes for those seeds, whether in the house or outdoors. In our minds, we begin a competition to see who can get their garden planted first; or bragging rights, “My plants are bigger than your plants,” or better yet, who can harvest radishes, rhubarb, or lettuce first. We observe the weather. When nighttime temps dip below freezing, it seems senseless to plant warm-weather crops. They require so much coddling and resist growing anyway until everything warms up to 50 degrees or more. Once the snow is gone, the impatience to grow consumes us day and night. If we can work the soil, we bury peas, radishes, lettuces, and spinach in the earth; all the while caring for our tomato, cabbage, pepper, and herb starts in our greenhouses and on sunny windowsills. Then, it’s finally playoff time for the impatient farmer. Once those frost dangers disappear, it’s off to the races, and planting begins fast and furious. Everything we can put in the ground, whether seeds or three-foot-tall tomatoes we started too soon in February. Planting a vegetable garden as large as the four plots we are fortunate enough to have on our property takes two weeks or longer, depending on which relatives are available to help. Fully expecting, of course, in return for labor, their fair share of veggies at harvest time. So, the rush is over by the beginning of June, and then what? We exercise patience. Gardeners walk about their gardens in the early morning dew, looking for signs of life. At night, they watch the weather, walk around their gardens, and do what they have to protect their investments. We water and weed because those weeds always take advantage of the watering by attempting to outdo the vegetables and flowers we plant. We get down on our knees sometimes and inspect the tiny cracks in the soil's surface. Is something coming up yet? With the proper weather conditions, soon the first radishes and peas sprout. The lettuce usually wins the race to maturity at our house. It’s a beautiful thing — a reward for the farmers' patience. |
Root Seller SueTimeless wisdom for gardeners, cooks, farmers, those of faith, or anyone seeking to reconnect with traditional ways of living. Archives
April 2025
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