Dandelion - cucumber salad (during April-May)

origin: Unknown

Dandelions are known for being very bitter, but if you pick them around April they are much sweeter. They are best picked when still laying flat on the ground, when they are small and fine. The leaves at this stage can still be red, green, silver grey, green blue or yellowish. Cut the plant beneath the surface of the earth, so you get a little bit of the root with the plant. The paler bottom ends of the leaves are the most crispy and are great in salad.

Rinse well in cold water. The leaves can be stored in the refrigerator for about two days.

Ingredients:
1 handful of dandelion shoots
1/2 cucumber
1 dl buttermilk
1 teaspoon sugar
perhaps, 1 dl. sliced mushrooms

Pinch the fresh dandelion shoots into small pieces. Slice the cucumber thinly and mix both with the buttermilk and added sugar. The salad can also be sprinkled with freshly sliced mushrooms.

Wild Spring Salad

4 people

Origin: Unknown

Ingredients:
1/2 l tender dandelion leaves
2 bundles of radishes
1 dl whey cheese
1 garlic clove
1/2 dl oil
1/2 dl water

Shred the green leaves and the radishes and mix in the whey cheese. Press the garlic and mix its juice with oil and water. Combine with the leaf, radish and whey mixture

Origin: Unknown

Ingredients:
50-70 dandelion heads
1 litre water
1-2 dl honey
juice of 1 lemon

Pluck the flower buds from the dandelion plants (discard the stem - otherwise the juice becomes bitter). Boil the dandelion flower buds in the water for about 15 min. Pass the liquid through a sieve to remove the flower buds, and then add honey and lemon juice according to your taste. You'll find the dandelion juice turns a nice dark yellow and can be diluted according to your taste. You can also use the juice to make a wonderful wine.

Calzoncini with artichokes and dandelions

6 people

Lunch dish

Origin: Unknown

Ingredients:
Dough:
10 g yeast
1 dl water
1 little teaspoon salt
1 pinch sugar
1 teaspoon olive oil
approximately 250 g Italian flour

Stuffing:
200 g just new dandelion shoot
1-2 tablespoon rinsed and drained capers
3 small very fresh artichokes
1 small parsley root
2 onions
4 garlic cloves
2 small red chilli peppers
salt and pepper
1 whisked egg
3-4 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan cheese or pecorino
perhaps, a little more beaten egg to make the stuffing stay more togther
Olive oil for frying

The dough: mix yeast and water, add sugar, salt and oil. Add flour little by little to the mixture and knead the dough until it is smooth and elastic. Put it aside for rising in 1-2 hours (dobble size) in a warm place.
The stuffing: Blanch the dandelion leaves in light salted water in about 2 min. and let them drain well in a strainer. Rinse capers and let them drain. Peel the farthest out leaves of the small artichokes until the leaves look fair and juicy. Beware that some small artichokes have some nasty spines, both on the stem and on the tip of the leaves. Cut the top centimeter of the leaves, cut also the stems off and peel them. Quater artichokes and cut the stems in small pieces. Peel and cut parsley root, onions and garlic gloves. Cut parsley root and onions in cubes and finely chop garlic and chilli peppers. Fry dandelion leaves, artichokes, parsley root, onions, garlic and chilli in oil over a low heat in 6-7 min., add capers, salt and pepper and a drop of water. Let it cook with a lid for about 5 min. Take the pot off the heat let it cool down. Mix in egg and cheese.

Divide the dough in 4-5 portions og roll them in ovals approx. 1/2 cm thick. Pull them out like long soles and place a portion of the stuffing on one half of the dough. Fold the other half over and squeeze the edges together with a spoon. Let them rest for about 5-10 min. and then slowly fry them in plenty of oil on both sides until golden. Let the small bread drain well on a peice of paper and serve shreded, as snacks - warm or cold.

Boiled dandelion roots in white sauce

Main course

origin: unknown

Ingredients:
200 g dandelion roots
1 l. water, light salted
1 1/2 dl milk
2 tablespoons flour
25 g. butter
salt and pepper

Boil the dandelion roots in lightly salted water twice. Stir the milk with the flour until thickens evenly and then boil the roots in this white sauce for 5 min. Add butter, salt and pepper to taste.

Origin: French

Ingredients:
250 g. dandelion flower buds (picked just before being used)
1 1/2 l. water
750 g. for each litre juice you get after boiling
juice of 1 lemon
2 oranges

Rinse the oranges and cut them into small pieces - without peeling. Then, rinse the dandelion flower buds and dry them in a soft tea towel. Boil both ingredients together in the water for about 1 hour, then drain them through a sieve.

Measure the juice you have left, add lemon juice plus the correct amount of sugar. Boil for another hour. Cool the juice before storing it in sterilized jars.

Exhibition in GUK+ - introduction

Six delicious recipies with dandelions

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