Natures Grocery Store

Ahhh the lowly dandelion,, just taken and tossed aside like a,,, weed? Well let me help in changing your minds. Just a little?

The dandelion is packed with vitamins A and C. It has iron and is an excellent source of calcium. It is a diuretic, a liver tonic, blood purifier and also just tastes plain good when prepared the right way. The dandelion is way better for you than spinach will ever be.

So I went out yesterday and picked a big bowl full of the young leaves. If you do pick the big leaves, you know the ones where they are like a bush, don't throw them out, they make excellent tea.

I took those greens and blanched them for just 2 seconds in salted boiling water. Let me clarify when I use salt i use sea salt, in everything. Then immediately dropped into cold water to stop the cooking process.

I then took that glob and seperated it into 3. One for the nights dinner and 2 to be chopped and frozen for winter use, to keep the body healthy during our long winter time.

So a few recipes you can make is a tea, which is the easy way to get your vitamins and minerals, or steam them and top with melted butter, salt, pepper and chives or leeks. Or go gourmet! Which is what I did.

Dandelion Carbonara

white cream sauce
butter ( a few tablespoons)
flour ( a few tablespoons)
herbs from you garden (i used sweet marian, parsley, chives and the dandelion, salt)
milk

In a sauce pan melt the butter, add the flour, mix together until it looks almost dry. start to add your milk and mix until it gets nice and creamy but not to thick,, you will need to keep adding more milk because as it cooks it gets thicker and thicker. now add all the above or herbs of your choice, except the dandelion. Add that at the last moment, about 5 minutes before serving.

Cook pasta of your choice.

Fry bacon cut into small peices, and set aside.

Now in the frying pan that you cooked the bacon in drain all grease if there is any. Add sweet red pepper, leek, carrots shredded and some frozen peas. Cook just until tender then add to the white sauce. Now add your bacon to the sauce or save and use as a topping. Add your dandelion greens all chopped up to the sauce and mix well.

Lay your pasta on a plate and top with the sauce and you have Dandelion Carbonara. I served mine with baggettes that I topped with siersløk pesto (and onion/garlic plant that grows here) and cayenne sauce that i make.

So heres dinner compliments of nature.

Just think all those veggies outta your garden, and with help from nature. Its all free, and so good for the body, mind and spirit. You connect with the land and it feeds you. Take what it offers and give thanks for that. Dandelions will be bitter when they are old. The young leaves will have a very earthy taste but i found if mixed with an onion sort of somekind it takes that away.

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If you don't have faith in what you believe, then don't believe at all.

Thanks all, I use dandelions in place of spinach all the time,, i love spinach, but dandelions are free, better for you, and when cooked taste very simular. Like for instance, spinach balls, creamed spinach, spinach souffle, spinach banitza or a filo dough dish. I replace the spinach with dandelions, and you can not tell the difference at all. Plus your body is getting more benifit from it.

Petunia, the root is sometimes used as a coffee substitute. You roast it then boil water and add it to that, let it boil for 15 minutes or so, then strain, and you have caffeine free "coffee". but the best times to do that is in the fall when the roots turn golden, then you can use them also like carrots.

Frukt suppe,,hmmm,,its been a while since i've had that. I've never made it honestly, but i do remember my grandma made it 2 ways. one is with a carrot base. cooked carrots then pureed, then different fruits pureed and all mixed in. the other is pureed strawberries, with other fruits pureed and mixed in. but it was always served with sour cream for the topping on the soup. Maybe Droopy has another version, or better. All i know is its good!

Lol,, you know when Josh asked what was for dinner and i told him,, he was the one who got the bowl out, and about hustled me out the door,, he loves the wild foods more than the, as he calls them "tame" ones,,,lol.

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If you don't have faith in what you believe, then don't believe at all.

Natures Grocery Store - Dandelions