Young dandelion greens make a healthful side dish.
A good addition to other harvestable greens such as chicory, arugula and watercress, dandelion greens also provide nutritional benefits in the form of beta-carotene, Vitamin K and calcium. For some, the unpalatable bitterness of cooked dandelion greens can detract from their healthful appeal, but proper selection and cooking techniques can help alleviate this slight culinary setback. Once released of their bitterness, these greens work well on their own as a side dish, stirred into stews or stir fries, or enhanced by seasoning with olive oil, garlic, onions and toasted nuts.
Instructions
1. Shop for young, fresh greens or pick young leaves straight from the garden. Younger leaves tend to be slightly sweeter than mature plants.
2. Cook the greens in a pot of simmering water or saut them in a well-oiled frying pan. For additional help in reducing bitterness, some cooks prefer to boil the greens twice, throwing out the water from the first boil and replacing with clean water for the second cooking.
3. Add seasoning to the greens while cooking. Using salt, butter, oil, broth and other spices will also help alleviate the bitterness of the dandelion greens. The addition of these flavors is particularly helpful to decrease bitterness quickly when the recipe calls for a quick wilting of the greens rather than a lengthy boil. If boiling the greens twice, wait to add seasoning until the second boil.
4. Chop up vegetables such as carrots, onions, beets or parsnips and add them to a pot of simmering dandelion greens. The addition of these vegetables can cut the overall bitterness of the greens while filling out the flavor of the final dish.
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