Love them or hate them, dandelions are everywhere. Mow your lawn clear of them one day, and nearly overnight, there will be a whole new blanket of bright yellow blossoms. Hooray? Or not exactly?
For Mickey Maguire and Tracie Smith, of Peterborough, it’s a resounding “hooray.” Earlier this month, the couple made their first-ever dandelion fritters.
They harvested a bucketful of the yellow button flowers from the fields at Taco Acres in Antrim, where Maguire hosts his annual Mom-Jam Fourth of July Blues Festival.
“For years, I have wanted to do something with the thousands of dandelions on my property. This spring they are actually quite incredible. I knew they were pesticide-free, so we picked a bunch.” Maguire said.
Taraxacum officinale, the dandelion, is a herbaceous perennial in the daisy family.
“Dandelion” means “lion’s tooth,” perhaps a nod to its jagged, serrated leaves.
Regardless of your perspective — pesky weeds or delightful flowers, dandelions are tenacious, abundant, and edible.
Nearly every part of the plant is edible, though be sure the plants have not been treated with chemicals, and always wash thoroughly to remove dirt and insects.
The greens, using the young leaves only, make a nutritious salad, and the roots can be roasted and used as a coffee substitute. You can roast or saute early spring roots and season how you like. Some compare them to turnips.
Careful if you are allergic to latex. Dandelion sap contains latex.
Harvest
- Pick the fully open ones
- Rinse with water and pat dry with a clean towel.
- Next, squish them flat, flower-side down, onto a sheet pan.
One Batch
2 cups of open dandelion flowers
Batter
Mix:
1 cup of gluten-free or regular flour
1 cup of water
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp. Salt
1 egg
“We also added Simply Organic Turmeric, Ginger, and Saigon Cinnamon powders. None of which is necessary, but we highly recommend for added flavor,” Smith said.
Dredge and cook
Add quality extra virgin olive oil to fry pan, on medium heat.
Dip the dandelion heads into batter one by one and place face down in the pan.
Flip each blossom after a couple of minutes, when golden brown. Remove from the pan when both sides are golden.
Substitute butter for oil if you prefer.
How were they?
“They were all we had for dinner. They weren’t just OK or just good; they truly were incredible. We will definitely make them again. Not only did they taste wonderful, they are healthy and can be served as a snack, a meal, or a side dish,” Maguire said.
The couple is working on their land, planting more and more medicinal herbs and plants, and adding greenhouses with the goal of turning the property into a medicinal farm.