Dandelions can be frustrating.
I know. I live in a sea of yellow for the entire month of May.
But, I have learned to embrace the yellow.
When you have as much grass as we do, you really can’t “pull them as you see them”…there are just too many weeds. Plus, when you realize the benefits of dandelions, you kind of start to appreciate them.
The first benefit? The chicory family has many varieties: endive, frisee, escarole, radicchio and dandelion (the cultivated variety have much longer and less bitter leaves than the kind you pick from your front yard). Imagine the possibilities from one family of greens!
There is also chicory root tea (which, if you are a coffee drinker like me, you will love!!) and dandelion wine (which I have never tried but would love too).
Now, how can you hate this beautiful weed? It even gives you hours of fun once the flower blooms into fluffy white seeds to be blown all over your yard (uhhhm, wait, don’t do this)
If you can get your hands on some of the planting variety, it grows like crazy and can be chopped and frozen to be used all winter long.
Once you pick it, the possibilities are endless! Cook up the greens and use it as a topper for a crostini – like here where it tops crispy bread slices, then it gets another layer of chopped tomatoes, more cheese and then under the boiler it goes!!
Or click here for another great (breakfast!!) recipe with dandelion greens!!
Go on…embrace the yellow!! xo
