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At times we have to choose between the path that is conventional and the path that is not. In today's world that once worn path that our great grandparents traveled is so overgrown and forgotten that it barely exists. Our goal is to reforge that forgotten path and make it new again.

The Family Eggers

The Family Eggers

Friday, March 28, 2014

Dandelion - the scourge of suburbia.

Spring foraging season is right around the corner.  As such we think it prudent to expose some of our favorite spring plants.
Today’s awaited delicacy is the common lawn weed Taraxacum officinale, otherwise known as the dandelion.  This is truly an amazing plant that has been eaten for centuries.  Every part of the plant is wonderful.
Leaves:  Many people see dandelion greens on the natural supermarket shelves at exorbitant prices.  It never occurs to many people to go out to the front yard to collect a salad.  The leaves are best collected in the spring.  As the season progresses, the leaves becoming increasingly bitter.  To collect dandelion greens simple go out and find the plant and cut off some leaves.  Make sure that the area has not been chemically sprayed by overzealous lawn Nazis and it is not in an area well traveled by neighborhood dogs.  Leaves are reported to have a mild diuretic value as well as aid in digestion.  USDA nutritional value
Flowers:  Flowers can be eaten raw in salads, made into tea, used for jelly, or even used for making wine.  Collect only healthy looking flowers from clean (non-sprayed) areas.  Remove the stem and as much green as possible.
Roots:  Roots can be used like a root vegetable or roasted and ground used as a coffee substitute.  Roots can be used any time of year but are actually a bit better in the fall.  Roots have diuretic properties and have also been reported to have a protective effect on the liver (hapatoprotective).   Additionally dandelion roots contain high levels of inulin, which is reported to have significant pre-biotic benefit.

References:
There are literally hundreds of references concerning the benefits of dandelion included in our diets.

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