King of the Garden
By Dan Thompson
They are the enemy of lawn owners everywhere. Seemingly invincible, these lions spread and thrive despite every effort to eliminate them. Their yellow heads and jagged teeth turn otherwise perfectly manicured yards into veritable jungles. They are dandelions, and they are coming for your lawn.
Of course, some people welcome these hardy little plants into their garden. It is said that weeds are simply plants whose use has been forgotten; in the case of dandelions, this must have taken some serious forgetting. As more and more people are re-discovering, dandelions not only taste good, but are amazingly full of nutrients and beneficial compounds. In fact, they have long been used in both traditional medicinal systems and Western medicine, and are among the healthiest foods out there.
The list of reasons to eat dandelions is impressively long, earning it a place in the pharmacopeia of most countries, as well as top 10 rankings on numerous ‘healthiest foods’ lists. To begin with, these weeds are the third richest source of Vitamin A of any food, with over 100% of the average person’s daily needs in one cup of the leaves. Vitamin A is essential for combating certain types of lung and mouth cancers and is also necessary for proper eye, skin, bone, and immune system health. Dandelions are also great sources of the B vitamins and have more than 500% of the daily recommended minimum value of Vitamin K.
As if that wasn’t enough goodness for one food, dandelions are full of other nutrients and chemicals that are beneficial to the body. They are particularly good sources of copper, potassium, calcium, iron, fiber, protein, and many other vital nutrients. Also, they have a number of organic compounds which have been shown to do everything from fighting cancer to improving digestion, increasing memory, and lowering stress, blood sugar and blood pressure. Dandelions are also a potent diuretic, which explains their French and Spanish nicknames, pissenlit and meacamas (literally, piss in bed.)
Dandelions are related to chicory and wild lettuce, but they are very easy to distinguish from other plants. In fact, there are no hazardous look-alikes, so picking dandelions is safe and easy. They can be identified by their jagged, toothed leaves and single yellow blossoms. While some other plant species may appear slightly similar, only dandelions have an unbranched flower stem and no hairy coating on their leaves.
There are plenty of options when it comes to serving up some dandelions for dinner. To begin with, the leaves have a bitter, robust flavor that makes an excellent addition to salads. They can also be sautéed lightly or even steamed, much like spinach. If the bitterness is too much, many people boil the leaves (with a change of water) to remove it, although this also gets rid of water soluble vitamins.
Surprisingly, those puffy yellow flowers are good eating, too. Dip them in a light batter and fry them up, or make up a thicker batter for dandelion fritters. Added to salads, they provide a meaty texture that sets off greens nicely. Oenophiles will be interested to know that dandelion wine is made from the blossoms, while drinkers of coffee will prefer the root, which can be powdered and used as a caffeine-free substitute.
Dandelions may be harvested throughout the growing season. For a mild flavor, harvest in early spring or late autumn after a frost. The frost kills off the worst of the bitterness in the plant, which some people find to be a turn off. However, the leaves may be eaten all year long by anyone who enjoys a sharp bite.
Dandelions can also be useful to have in the garden. Bee keepers will be especially fond of these plants, since they are an important early season source of nectar. Aside from this, they serve a purpose in flower and vegetable gardens. The flowers produce ethylene, a gas which puts plant production in to hyper drive. This can cause plants in a garden to produce very quickly; however, they tend to do very poorly afterwards, so it is best to keep dandelions away. This same gas, though, can be added to compost piles to speed up the maturation process. Simply throw the flowers in the compost pile and watch the ethylene gas work its magic.
With all the goodness that dandelions have to offer, perhaps it is time to put aside the weed killer and pick up the salad dressing. Between their incredible health benefits and the multitude of ways they can be prepared, dandelions are the perfect food for anybody. If nothing else, eating them will be a whole lot easier trying to get rid of them.
