Dandelion

Taraxacum officinale / COMPOSITAE Sunflower family

Other Common Names: Common Dandelion, Blowball

Description: Perennial or biennial herb with hollow, leafless stem, 5-5 cm tall; thin, deep green, coarsely toothed, clustered leaves growing from plant base in spreading rosette; long, thick taproot; each stem has a single flower head or seed head; flower bright yellow; seed heads are white.

Location: Abundant throughout North America; open fields, roadsides and lawns.

Season: Blossoms in early spring through summer; edibles, spring through fall.

Edible: Leaves and root.

Preparation: Young leaves harvested before flowers appear can be used in salads or cooked like domestic greens. Should the taste be too bitter a change of cooking water will remove the bitterness. Roots are best dug in autumn and should be dried uncut until hard. Like chicory root, dried roots are slowly roasted and ground as a coffee substitute. ,

Notes of Interest: Superior source of vitamins, containing a large amount of vitamin A; also B, C, and E. Dandelion greens are rated very high nutritionally.

Ingredients:
6 dandelion leaves
boiling water
1 teaspoon honey (optional)

Method:
Remove the leaves from the stems and tear them into strips. Place in the bottom of a mug, pour on enough boiling water to fill the mug and leave to stand for 5-10 minutes. Strain and drink. For a sweeter brew, add 1 teaspoon of honey