Question from A Home Cook about Dandelions

I received a question yesterday from a home cook that asks; “It's Spring... Do you use Dandelions in your professional kitchen? If so, how do you use them: Salads, Pasta et al? And, how do you prepare Dandelions for the various dishes?”

To answer the first question I have not, as of yet, had the occasion to use Dandelions in any of the professional kitchens that I have worked. I have however used a variety of other wild flowers in all of the kitchens that I have worked. I have, on the other hand, had many occasions in my own kitchen, worked with Dandelions and love to use them in salads.

It is possible to use both the bud of the flower (not the technical term but hey I’m a cook not a florist) and the greens. I personally have used them in, as mentioned above, Salads, I’ve used the greens for sandwiches and have used them once for a great stuffed pasta dish that I did. Dandelions are versatile and can be used in drinks as well.

It is important to note that the best times to pick the Dandelion and its greens for any edible use is after the first frost and before about September. This ensures that a lot of the bitterness commonly found in Dandelions is for the most part not there. That is not to say that they will not have bitterness to them merely to say that they will be less bitter.

There are some great books out there on cooking with wild flowers in general and Dandelions specifically. You may want to check out just a few of these. I personally have read (read flipped through for inspiration) the first;

http://www.amazon.com/Dandelion-Celebration-Guide-Unexpected-Cuisine/dp/1879863510

http://www.amazon.com/Neighborhood-Forager-Guide-Wild-Gourmet/dp/1552633063/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242910308&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Edible-Salad-Garden/dp/9625932909/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242910331&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.com/Dandelion-Cookbook-Recipes-National-Cookoffs/dp/B00113EQQY/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242910374&sr=1-2

Great question Home Cook. I hope you found this helpful. This is also a great time to remind people that food is about playing and fun. It is about trial and error and lots of experimentation.

Henry Ward Beecher once said; “You cannot forget if you would those golden kisses all over the cheeks of the meadow, queerly called dandelions.”

A la prochaine
SDM