Dandelions a la carte

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Can't pick a better weed

 

Dandelions ease and please whether in coffe, tea, or

tincture

By ELIZABETH BROMSTEIN

 

Dandelions used to be the exclusive food of

hillbillies who like to smother 'em in bacon dressing

and called it good eatin'. But now everyone's on about

the magical health and cleansing properties of the

shaggy yellow flowers.

While lawn addicts still revile

them, folks in Alt-health land maintain they're top of

the list in nature's pharma: roots, leaves, petals and

stems. Be careful where you harvest them, though.

Citified plants near roadways can be drenched in heavy

metals and other nasties.

 

Besides tincture, capsules and salads, they work in

pizza, fritters, soup and wine. Such a versatile gem

of a weed.

 

What the experts say

 

" If you're going to eat plants out of the ground in

the city, you want something young, not something

that's been sitting around gathering pollution. You

can tell how old a dandelion is by how many leaves it

has. If it's got one, then that's a new dandelion – go

ahead and eat it.

But if it has several you might want

to leave it. Dandelions are an amazing spring food.

They act on all the organs of elimination - the liver,

the kidneys. They have tons of nutrients and

chlorophyll that detox your body. Before they flower

they're less bitter, but bitter is amazing for

detoxing. The flowers taste great in a stir-fry . "

 

MONIKA GHENT , herbalist, Toronto

 

" The root is especially good for supporting good liver

function, and the leaf is good for the urinary tract ,

though they both do both. The stem is not usually used

internally, because the internal latex is irritating

to the gastrointestinal system, but it can be dabbed

on warts and pimples to help them disappear. The

flowers are used like the leaf or root but are a much

gentler medicine that would be good for someone with a

delicate constitution.

Dandelion is used for arthritic

and rheumatic conditions because it increases the

removal of metabolic waste from the body. Dandelion

root coffee makes a very nice bitter beverage. It's an

incredible food, rich in vitamins A, B, C and D. It's

mineral-rich, too, with potassium, calcium, iron and

copper. "

 

DANETTE STEELE , herbalist, Toronto

 

" Mix a cup of dandelion flowers, a half-cup of flour,

a quarter-cup of chopped onions, half a teaspoon each

of garlic powder and salt, a quarter-teaspoon each of

basil, oregano, thyme or other Italian seasoning,

something to wet it with - milk or water.

Then

deep-fry the mixture as balls or patties for the best

vegetarian burger you've ever had. Gather flowers when

they've closed up for the night. Get big ones. Pinch

them at the base to loosen up the yellow florets.

We

like to dry dandelions and just throw them in soups ,

stews , casseroles . Because they're bitter, you want

to put something on them that's sweet. If you're

making a salad, don't dress them with Italian

dressing, but with a raspberry vinaigrette. Dandelions

are the most nutritious vegetable I can imagine.

 

PETER GAIL , ethnobotanist, president, Goosefoot Acres

Center for Resourceful Living, author, The Dandelion

Celebration, The Great Dandelion Cookbook, Cleveland

Ohio " The root works wonderfully on the liver and

gallbladder. It increases bile flow and eliminates

toxins . People develop sluggish livers after the

winter months and need to remove chemicals or

pollutants.

Cleansing the liver helps with

constipation , a number of skin issues like acne or

eczema and joint issues like gout . The leaf is a

powerful diuretic and useful in reducing the volume of

fluid, helpful with high blood pressure. Conventional

blood pressure medication depletes potassium, but

dandelion leaves are high in potassium. You can juice

the leaves, eat them cooked or raw. They can be used

in dried form or capsules. Roots can be used in

capsule or tea form. "

 

JODY PRENTICE , naturopath, Toronto

 

" Here is a soup recipe

.. Ingredients:

4 cups diced

spuds with skin, 1 stalk celery, 1 medium carrot, 1

large onion, 1 small chopped green pepper, 2 cups

chopped tender dandelion greens and stalks, 2 or more

cloves garlic chopped, 2 tablespoons oil, 1 cup dry

yellow split peas, salt, black pepper, oregano, thyme,

mustard powder.

In a large pot, barely cover the spuds

with lightly salted water. Once the water boils, turn

heat down, simmer for 10 minutes.

Add veggies, cover

and cook slowly till tender. Boil the split peas

separately and then add. Add 1 teaspoon black pepper,

a generous pinch of oregano, minimum pinches of thyme

and mustard powder.

With a hand blender, whirl till

smooth. If serving immediately, add the chopped

dandelions and squirts of lemon. If storing for later,

add the dandelion after reheating.''

 

SUNNY RAJA , chef, Vegan Delights, Toronto

 

NOW | MAY 4 - 10, 2006 | VOL. 25 NO. 36