# Dandelion salad--TNT



## kadesma

My grandparents introduced this to me when I was maybe 6 or 7 I loved it then and still do to this day,
1 bunch of rinsed dandillion greens,slice thin, put in bowl, add evoo, red wine vinegar this is to your taste, I tend to like it rather tart, add 4-5 large diced hard cooked eggs, very thin sliced sweet onion,salt and fresh cracked black pepper...This what I put in mine, my kids like theirs with crisp fried and crumbled bacon or pancetta and of course fresh warm Italian bread with lots of butter
kadesma


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## LindaLou

LOL! my grandparents love dandillions, I too but picked them for wine so I have never had the salad.  I do remember as a kid going out to pick all those dandillions top for my grandfather.  How life changes!


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## kadesma

LindaLou said:


> LOL! my grandparents love dandillions, I too but picked them for wine so I have never had the salad.  I do remember as a kid going out to pick all those dandillions top for my grandfather.  How life changes!


I've never made wine but salad my favorite thing. My grandparents had this salad at least once a week.
kadesma


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## LindaLou

I think it is rather funny that they used the dandillion greens for the salad and we picked the dandillion heads for the wine -- guess we should all learn something there.


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## kadesma

LindaLou said:


> I think it is rather funny that they used the dandillion greens for the salad and we picked the dandillion heads for the wine -- guess we should all learn something there.


We sure could. Did they teach you to make the wine? I'd love to learn how.
kades


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## justplainbill

Young tender dandelion greens is one of my favorite salads.  I enjoy it mixed with fresh garlic chives, a little fresh thyme, evo, vinegar, and a sprinkling of  parmigiano and locatelli or some feta.


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## Bolas De Fraile

All the dandelion lover are welcome to come and pick them out of our lawns, the yellow ........ fight dirty and beat me every year


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## justplainbill

If ya can't beatum, joinum.  Interesting to hear that America's extravagant preoccupation with manicured ecologically unsound greenery is not purely an American phenomenon.  Unfortunately, for some of us, the sunniest part of our property is a front yard in which it is socially unacceptable to plant a victory garden.


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## kadesma

justplainbill said:


> Young tender dandelion greens is one of my favorite salads.  I enjoy it mixed with fresh garlic chives, a little fresh thyme, evo, vinegar, and a sprinkling of  parmigiano and locatelli or some feta.


That sounds so good. I'll try some that way .Thanks for sharing
kadesma


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## justplainbill

kadesma said:


> That sounds so good. I'll try some that way .Thanks for sharing
> kadesma


Thanks Kadesma.  I think it not only tastes good but is healthy.  Our garlic chives appear to be a gift from our feathered friends.  They are a shade tolerant perennial that pops up in the early spring, dies back during the summer and pops back up in the fall.


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## kadesma

justplainbill said:


> Thanks Kadesma.  I think it not only tastes good but is healthy.  Our garlic chives appear to be a gift from our feathered friends.  They are a shade tolerant perennial that pops up in the early spring, dies back during the summer and pops back up in the fall.


That's so strange, I'd have to buy them and plant to get the garlic chives. Think i'll give it a try
kades


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## LindaLou

kadesma said:


> We sure could. Did they teach you to make the wine? I'd love to learn how.
> kades


 

I did not learn to make the wine but I was just looking at some of the recipes for it on the internet.  It uses the dandelion flowers, orange juice, lemon juice, lime and ginger -- sounds interesting and fun to try.

How to Make Dandelion Wine: 10 steps - wikiHow


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## blissful

Okay my lettuce is coming up, it's an inch high!!! (woo hoo a whole inch!)
I want to learn dandelion salad (to mix with my regular lettuces).....so, can anyone give me instruction on picking the leaves? No poisons sprayed on my acre.
Are they better very very small.....how small, or do you only pick them in the spring? Before they go to heads for the flowers? Wash it and slice it up? Teach me? Thank you in advance!


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## justplainbill

Be forewarned that it is somewhat bitter, akin to curly endive.  It's best picked in spring before flowers have gone to seed and leaves are less than 4 inches long.  Rinse, dry and break into pieces < 1.5".


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## kadesma

I've never found then to be bitter, but everyone has different take on these greens. Some find them to be weeds and others find a lucious salad. I never use balsamic on them but a home made vinegar that my DH's cousin made and with some evoo salt and papper it's great. I never mix them with other lettuces  but I do like some chives added to the red onions yum
kadesma


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## justplainbill

Below is a link to a relatively comprehensive treatise on dandelions-
Making dandelions palatable by John Kallas, Ph.D Issue #82


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## kadesma

justplainbill said:


> Below is a link to a relatively comprehensive treatise on dandelions-
> Making dandelions palatable by John Kallas, Ph.D Issue #82


Interesting read. I must be one of those who bitter doesn't register on I love the taste of dandelion greens, I've had them boiled and topped with crisp bacon, they are ok but I prefer the sliced raw ones. I just wonder why the store bought kind are so mild?
kadesma


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## taxlady

justplainbill said:


> Below is a link to a relatively comprehensive treatise on dandelions-
> Making dandelions palatable by John Kallas, Ph.D Issue #82



Thanks for the link. I have tried dandelion greens several times and "Yacht, pituey, spit-spit-spit, blah!" was pretty much my reaction too. I think I'll give them another try this spring.

I tried a lot of kinds of wild greens, and with the exception of mustard greens, they were all, "Like spinach, only worse."


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## justplainbill

kadesma said:


> Interesting read. I must be one of those who bitter doesn't register on I love the taste of dandelion greens, I've had them boiled and topped with crisp bacon, they are ok but I prefer the sliced raw ones. I just wonder why the store bought kind are so mild?
> kadesma


I have a pretty high tolerance for bitter and a low one for sweet.  For example I prefer beers with a high hops content.  Apparently many people, particularly Americans, find bitterness to be yukky and sweetness to be yummy but for example, to me, the sweetness of Sweppes tonic water, as of late, more than offsets the desirability of the bitterness of the quinine.


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## taxlady

justplainbill said:


> I have a pretty high tolerance for bitter and a low one for sweet.  For example I prefer beers with a high hops content.  Apparently many people, particularly Americans, find bitterness to be yukky and sweetness to be yummy but for example, to me, the sweetness of Sweppes tonic water, as of late, more than offsets the desirability of the bitterness of the quinine.



That's funny. I really dislike bitter, but I dislike tonic water for its sweetness far more than for its bitterness. Most people think I'm nuts when I say that tonic water is too sweet.


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## justplainbill

taxlady said:


> That's funny. I really dislike bitter, but I dislike tonic water for its sweetness far more than for its bitterness. Most people think I'm nuts when I say that tonic water is too sweet.


Bitter macht lustig!


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## blissful

I was just out in the yard. I picked a handful of dandelion greens--my first time.
After washing and draining them. I tasted some.....I thought, wow this is nice, not bitter at all. THEN all of a sudden, some bitter came through. It's not like spinach at all, more like tonic water (which I like) bitter.  But you know, it wasn't really bad, it only lasted a moment. I will be trying some in a salad now this next week.


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## kadesma

blissful said:


> I was just out in the yard. I picked a handful of dandelion greens--my first time.
> After washing and draining them. I tasted some.....I thought, wow this is nice, not bitter at all. THEN all of a sudden, some bitter came through. It's not like spinach at all, more like tonic water (which I like) bitter.  But you know, it wasn't really bad, it only lasted a moment. I will be trying some in a salad now this next week.


That's great. I'm sure you'll find them rather good with hard cooked eggs, sweet onion and a good evoo and red wine vinegar. Thanks again 
kadesma


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## goodfood

I have a huge LAWN of dandelions (created by dumping big plastic bags of the parachute seeds) and have a very large bowl (eg the IKEA big stainless steel bowl) almost every day from April thru October. Second and third crops come in. Younger leaves are better but if larger can be easily sliced thinner. But I'm letting other things like thistles and nettles grow - and the dandelions often have to get quite large to get the sun - they stay 'tender.'

I coat with evoo first so vinegar doesn't seep thru - add salt, ground pepper and some mixed herb powder I make - and often have cubes of feta if I want to make a meal of the salad. BUT - I do add a bit of SUGAR as it cuts some bitterness - but the bitterness is addictive - just as it is with radicchio/chicory.

Amazed how something so fresh and tasty can be so free and easily available! (and HEALTHY!)


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