dandelion greens?

[grasswire]

Was at the organic food store down the street and saw some beautiful young dandelion greens. Any DU experience cooking them?

I made the best soup with some chard from that store today. I had a leftover roast chicken with a bit of meat still on the bones and some leftover lemon-spinach-pecorino couscous in the fridge. I stewed the chicken with a spoonful of chicken base til the meat fell off the bones, took the bones and skin out, added a bunch of chopped chard, some garlic, and the leftover couscous. Simmered till the chard was tender. It was delicious, but one of those serendipitous one-time dishes.

[livetohike]

1. Just saute them with some olive oil and garlic

As you would with chard or escarole or spinach. If the dandelion greesn are really tender it will take a minute.

My great-aunt used to make dandelion wine (with the flowers of course). Then she would can peaches in it!

[eleny]

2. I love chard and beet tops, too

Your soup sounds fabulous. Beet soup is big in my family. We make it with some country pork ribs or even the meaty bone of a lamb roast.

I found some smallish yellow/rosy pink beets with tops at the grocery last night. So I got some picnic ribs and am making the soup tomorrow. But you can't always get beets with the leafy tops, so then I use chard.

Have you ever seen the chard with yellow stalks? Our health food store sells them in mixed bunches with the red. It's lovely and would make a great centerpiece if I was into table decorations. :-/

To your question - I have used dandelion greens from my yard in soups since we weren't using chems and the dandelions grow everywhere in the flower beds etc. Once when my husband had pneumonia and finally felt like having something to eat, I made a plain beef broth and also used the dandelion root. I cut it up very tiny and just tossed it in to soften. It's sort of fibrous ands full of nutrition. My grandmother used the leaves raw in salad with a sweet vinegar dressing. I think the raspberry vin dressings would be delish.

[ElaineinIN]

3. I used to date a greek guy in law school

and his mom -- 1st gen, barely spoke any English -- used to use about 1/2 spinach, 1/2 dandelion greens in her spanikopita. It was to die for.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. My grandmother used to make a salad out of them

That was my father's mother. My mother's mother (who taught my mother to cook and consequently was the basis of many things I grew up eating) never made them.

I only vaguely recall the taste ... bitter, but in a pleasant way .... kinda like chicory or some other "bitter" greens. I don't recall ever eating them hot, but I know its done.

Edited to add: The dandelions she used came from an exotic place ... the lawns of the neighborhood! She used to pay us kids a nickle or a dime to go gather them. It was fun!

[Lavender Brown]

5. My grandmother would gather them that way

Whenever we'd go for a walk, she'd pick them along the way. It always embarrassed me when I was little, because my friends and neighbors thought it was so bizarre. Now I wish I hadn't been so silly. :)

[mtnester]

7. My grandma did the same thing...she had a special stick that I still have

that is notched on the end. She also used a sharp, very short knife and carried a big basket. We picked elderberries and gooseberries and rhubarb together as well.

She died when I was 8 (she was only 38 - colon cancer that with today's medicine would have been curable, but she developed pneumonia right after the surgery and it took her within hours)

I remember it like it was yesterday...thanks for reminding me! Even 45 year olds like to enter the wayback machine with a smile. It is a pleasant memory...,something me and grandma only shared.

Funny now, I look so muck like her when I look in the mirror, I see her everyday. Pictures of both of us at 37 stand side by side, and it is quite creepy actually.

On edit - when I was little, if we did not have greens at least once a week, it was considered almost a crime by grandma...greens done with chicken broth, ham hocks (sometimes bacon also) a little onion, with a splash of vinegar...still a comfort food for me (am a true Yank too, born and raised)

[eridani]

6. Question about beet tops

Will anything that works with dandelion greens also work with beet tops? I have some left over from my bortsch.

[eleny]

8. I put them in beet soup

When I can't get them with the fresh beets, I look for chard as a substitute. I just like the greens in there, too.

[eridani]

9. Guess I should have done that

I was following my recipe pretty literally, and it said to discard them.

[eleny]

10. You might not like it in your soup

It's just the way my family makes it. If you add sugar to yours, the leaves might not be a go. Our version is pretty plain.

[eridani]

11. My borscht recipe calls for red wine vinegar and sugar

Not sure what the effect would be on the beet greens. The recipe also calls for cabbage, so greenery wasn't exactly forbidden.

The other seasonings are garlic, onion and salt.

[eleny]

12. Sounds like it's worth a try

Maybe you could reserve a bowl and add a leaf or two and continue simmering it until the beet top is soft. It might even add a dimension.