Wait! Don’t spray that beautiful yellow flower! Dandelion is a most awesome nutritious food as well as an excellent herbal remedy.
Dandelion greens are one of the most nutritious leafy greens you can eat. They are abundantly available in Teller County and they are free! One cup of fresh raw dandelion greens contain more of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Calcium and Iron than Broccoli. Low in calories, dandelion greens are rich in minerals. Besides calcium and iron, they are a good source of copper, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium. They have more protein per serving than spinach. The greens themselves are 14% protein and contain all essential amino acids so it’s a complete protein. One cup contains 1.5 grams of protein.
They are a multi-vitamin. Besides vitamin A as beta-carotene (112% RDA) and vitamin C (32% RDA), dandelion greens are also good sources of B6 (7% RDA), vitamin E (9% RDA) and are especially abundant in vitamin K (535% RDA).
See more here: http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2441/2
The young tender leaves taken before the plant flowers are a nutritional powerhouse and a number one choice for adding to green smoothies. The dandelion crown which sits atop the dandelion’s taproot includes multiple new flower buds and the earliest, and most tender leaves. They are succulent, buttery soft and bittersweet morsels. Dandelion crowns are a treat that everyone can enjoy.
When the leaves are older they have a stronger somewhat bitter taste aiding in proper digestion. If you don’t have access to dandelion leaves near you, check with Mountain Naturals in Woodland Park or come and see me. The dandelion reigns in my yard and greenhouse throughout the spring and summer months.
All parts of the dandelion plant are edible as well as beneficial with no known toxicity. The ground root can be lightly roasted in a frying pan or browned in the oven on a cookie sheet to make caffeine-free dandelion coffee. The flowers can be coated and lightly sautéed in olive oil. The stems, although bitter and slightly tough contain digestive enzymes and can be chewed to stimulate the flow of digestive juices making nutrients easier to assimilate. Like its cousin the Sunflower, Dandelion seeds, although very small are also edible and highly nutritious.
One more important fact to make note of is the nectar of the dandelion flower is super nutritious and a favorite for the bees. So PLEASE, for the bees, don’t spray that beautiful yellow flower.
Interesting Dandelion Fact: If you attempt to dig a dandelion root and it breaks off in the ground, it may take a season to come back but another dandelion will emerge with two tops on it. Depending on how many times the root has been broken off you can end up with a Medusa dandelion with 2, 3, even 4 heads on one root much to the dismay of the perfect lawn person and the delight of the Herbalist!
Tip: Pouring warmed olive oil and garlic over a salad of dandelion greens will help to bring out the mineral content.
Dandelion Pumpkin Seed Pesto
Makes about 1 cup
3/4 cup unsalted hulled (green) pumpkin seeds
3 garlic gloves, minced
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
1 bunch dandelion greens (about 2 cups, loosely packed)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Black pepper, to tasted
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the pumpkin seeds onto a shallow-rimmed baking sheet and roast until just fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
Pulse the garlic and pumpkin seeds together in the bowl of a food processor until very finely chopped.
Add parmesan cheese, dandelion greens, and lemon juice and process continuously until combined. Stop the processor every now and again to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The pesto will be very thick and difficult to process after awhile — that’s ok.
With the blade running, slowly pour in the olive oil and process until the pesto is smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Recipe from the popular cook book titled “Cook Eat Grow” by Willi Galloway.
Mari Marques is a Certified Herbalist and owner of The Thymekeeper. For questions or more information contact: Mari at mugsyspad@aol.com or 719-439-7303. Mari is available for private consultation or to meet with you and see what’s blooming on your property in June, July and August.
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