Dandelion Greens

This year, I'm eating dandelion leaves (a.k.a. dandelion "greens").  The entire plant is edible, but right now I only have lots of leaves in my garden.  Not surprising, the Pilgrims brought this plant over from England to the US.  Yes, it may be a weed, but it's an edible weed and one of the first to sprout and be a source of food in late winter/early spring (especially important in really really cold regions).  It also has lots of vitamins like calcium and iron.

I don't spray my yard so I'm not worried about the leaves being covered in pesticides.  If you are going to eat dandelion greens, make sure it hasn't been sprayed or you can just grow your own by saving seeds and planting it.  It just took me a longer time to get the nerve to be okay with consuming it.  The leaves can be added to salads and eaten raw, although I'm eating mine in my ramen noodle soup.  If you boil the leaves with the water, the leaves won't be so bitter.  The taste of it reminds me of arugula and bitter greens.

Overall, I'm liking the dandelion greens in my soup.  I might go pick some more and see how well it tastes sauteed with a few shallots.

I hope you try some dandelion greens.  If you do, let me know what you think.

If you want to find out more about the nutritional value of dandelion greens, try this website:  http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/vegetables-and-vegetable-products/2441/2

If you want to learn more about eating dandelion greens and the plant itself, go here:  http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Dandelion.html