Dandelion Greens!

Hooray for spring!

It's the time of year that we can start harvesting wild edibles again. I'm extremely excited about this, as last year I really began picking and using wild edibles in a big way.

Yesterday as I crept out to our garden to take some early chives for a recipe I was making, the dandelion greens called to me. People often say this, and I've really never known what it meant until now. On my way to the garden, I saw little clusters of dandelion leaves coming up. They caught my eye, but I stepped over them to get to the chives. Then back to the house I walked by the greens again...here and there little clusters of them popped out at me, so I knew what I must do. I took a few leaves and chopped them with the chives into my recipe (a mock tuna salad from the book RAWvolution: Gourmet Living Cuisine.)

This is the best time of year for dandelion greens: before they flower. Once the bright yellow flower pops out, the leaves become too bitter to eat. Now they are just right. And an excellent spring tonic as well. Great for the liver, skin and eyes. Do an internet search and you will be amazed at the healing power of these little "weeds" that grow everywhere.

Enjoy the spring!