Dandelion is one of those greens that you either love or can't stand. This wild weed is abundant even in urban areas and can be foraged from early spring till late summer and early fall. Make sure that you are foraging in areas distant from road traffic, railway or industrial zones. If you are lucky dandelion may be growing in your backyard. This is, namely, where I foraged mine.
Ingredients:
for the salad
- 1 bunch large dandelion greens
- 1 endive (optional)
- large cucumber, shaved into ribbons
- 2 green onions, cut into thin slices
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup virgin olive oil
- juice of 1/2 lemon, add more if needed
- pinch pink Himalayan salt
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
Foraged Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)
Method:
- Carefully wash and clean the dandelion greens. Take half of the leaves and chop them into thin stripes. Toss chopped dandelion and the whole dandelion leaves into a salad bowl and mix with all the other ingredients.
- In a small bowl whisk a dressing. Adjust the taste to your personal liking.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and mix gently. Serve right away and enjoy in good company!
Dandelion can be eaten raw, cooked like spinach, brewed as a tea or macerated as tincture. Leaves, flowers and roots can be used to prevent and cure many ailments, including liver diseases such as fatty liver, hepatitis or jaundice. This bitter weed can be used as tonic and gentle diuretic to cleanse the body from inside out, purify blood, heal acne, dissolve kidney stones, and improve gastrointestinal health. Dandelion may also help with weight loss by improving liver function and digestion. It can be used to prevent high blood pressure, balance blood sugar, and to efficiently lower cholesterol.
In radiant health, passionately raw - Dominique
Dominique Allmon©2015
*Information in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to diagnose or cure a disease.