Dandelion leaves: more than a noxious weed, they're dinner

October 28, 10:20 PMFood ExaminerEric Burkett

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Dandelion greens at work.
Eric Burkett

What to serve with a meal of baked macaroni and cheese with buttered bread crumbs? I found myself staring at the vegetables in my favorite produce store today, leaning toward the greens. Tempted by the baby bok choy – as much as I like the flavor I am enamored with their beautiful shade of jade when they’re gently sautéed – and then momentarily seduced by the big leafy bunches of chard, I grabbed – instead – a homely bunch of dandelion greens.

I hear you thinking: Aren't dandelions weeds? Well, yes, if they happen to be growing in your lawn. Unless you're doing battle with them in the garden, however, they're delicious.

I love bitter flavors: Chinese bitter melon (so named because, well, never mind…), radicchio, and astringent Assam tea are among my favorites, but dandelion greens are right there at the top of the list. Spindly and dark green with a thick white spine in each leaf, there were several bunches of them lined up at the back of the display bin, struggling for space between the dino kale and the Swiss chard. I grabbed one bunch, as well as a bunch of green onions, and tossed it into my basket. Dinner was set.

Thinking of the richness of the macaroni and cheese (which was actually fusilli and cheese, but let’s not quibble) I knew I wanted something that would cut the heavy, buttery pasta. Dandelion greens, sharply flavored and full of texture, would stand up to the cream and fat; their chewy texture would be a great contrast to the soft fusilli. It was a good choice.

I chopped and sautéed the green onions in a little olive oil, and then added the dandelion leaves, letting the drops of water leftover from having washed them add the necessary moisture to help wilt them down. With some salt and pepper, and a quick splash of seasoned rice vinegar, they were the ideal counterpoint to the fusilli and cheese.

Europeans have been eating dandelion greens, in soups and salads among other dishes, probably since there were first Europeans. Popular among the French, who call them pissenlit (Lit means “bed” in French; I’ll leave it to your imagination to determine the rest of the meaning), dandelions are rich in nutrients packing even more Vitamin A than broccoli and healthy amounts of Vitamin C, iron, and calcium, as well.

Plug “dandelion greens” into Google, and you’ll find dozens of web sites touting the pleasures of foraging for wild dandelions in the great outdoors but I live in the middle of San Francisco and my friendly produce store is good enough to carry them; I’ll leave the foraging to others. Like greens in general, they have a relatively short shelf life but wrapped tightly in a plastic bag and stored in a cold refrigerator they’ll keep for up to five days. Most important, of course, they’re great with macaro- er, fusilli and cheese.