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Gardening Tips & Advice
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Dandelions: Friend or Foe?
Everything you never knew about the lowly dandelion.
How can those pesty weeds that you work so hard to get rid of be
good for anything? Think again before you consider the
dandelion your garden enemy! According to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, dandelions are more nutritious than
broccoli or spinach, contain more cancer-fighting beta-carotene than
carrots, and are a rich source of calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium,
thiamine, riboflavin, lecithin, and dietary fiber!
All parts of the dandelion; leaves, flowers and roots are edible,
each in their own season.
The young, tender leaves of dandelions can be eaten as cooked greens, used in
salads, gravies or in a variety of baked dishes. Pick the tender
leaves before flowers bud or else they will become bitter.
Dandelion flowers, from which the bitter stem and green parts need to be
removed before using, can be dipped in batter and fried to make
fritters or boiled for jellies as well as used in muffins and wines.
Harvest dandelion roots during the fall and winter months. Cleaned,
roasted and ground up, dandelion roots make a coffee-flavor,
caffeine-free base for hot or cold beverages.
Dandy Facts:
 | Growing dandelion greens for market generates millions of
dollars a year in the U.S.
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| Many popular herbal teas, weight-loss products and organic
vitamin supplements contain dandelions. Check the ingredients.
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| Fifty five tons of coffee substitutes made from roasted
dandelion roots are sold each year in England, Australia, and
Canada.
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| Recipes using dandelions appear in one of every four general
cookbooks in the U.S.
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| Dandelions are a favorite food of hogs, poultry, deer,
silkworms, purple finches and gerbils.
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| Make liquid fertilizer by immersing a handful of dandelion
leaves in a pint of water, bring it to a boil, cover and allow it to
cool. After it is cooled, strain the liquid off, dilute with four
parts of water. For a leaf spray, add one teaspoon of liquid soap
(not detergent) |
Feeling adventurous? Try this delicious recipe
for soup!
Cream of Dandelion Soup
| 8 ounces fresh
Dandelion greens (12 cups loosely packed) |
| 2 Tablespoons butter or margarine |
| 1
small onion finely chopped |
| 2 cups
chicken broth |
| 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional if broth is salty) |
| 2 cups
milk |
| 3 tablespoons all purpose flour |
| 1/2 cup
half and half or light cream |
| Garnishes Dairy sour
cream, chopped hard-cooked egg or crumbled crisp cook bacon. |
Cook the dandelion greens, covered in 2 quarts salted water for 10
minutes. Drain well.
Melt butter or margarine in a large saucepan. Add onion, cook until
tender. Add chicken broth. Stir in
dandelion greens and let simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Remove from
heat.
Blend or process one-fourth of the chicken broth/dandelion
green mixture at a time
in blender or food processor. Return to saucepan.
Combine milk and flour. Add milk mixture and cream to the
soup puree in the saucepan.
Cook and stir on medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook one minute more. Ladle
into soup bowls and garnish with sour cream chopped egg or bacon, and
a few drops of lemon juice.
Makes 6 servings
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