Dandelion Greens - Thursday 6/5/2008

I'd like to say that the odd qualities of light in this photo were caused by some effort on my part... or at least to the haze of nostalgia lingering around this skillet full of dandelion greens. But honestly, it's hard to take good food photos. I don't know why there's a weird glow there.

I couldn’t bring myself to make them with bacon, which is the real way to make them. So I wilted them in a cast iron skillet with some olive oil and garlic.

It was just enough to make me homesick for the dandelion greens we used to pick when they were young and tender around the old church down the road that was used as a barn when I was a kid. We’d never pick them longer than about the length of our hands (kid hands!)

They’re selling these huge 12-inch leaves that are mostly tough bitter stem. Sigh. What I wouldn’t give for some good greens.

Or the flowers! We used to pick the flowers, soak them briefly in salt water (de-bugging them), and then dip them in egg and flour and saute them in butter. Nutty and fabulous. The little buds are great, too.

Please, if you have access to unpoisoned dandelions, try this!