Dandelion Love
I have been working on reading two books as of late. One is on epigenetics titled You Are What Your Grandparents Ate, by Judith Finlayson. The other is Eat Like a Human, by Dr. Bill Schindler.
Both these books got me thinking a lot about my own ethnic roots and culture, and how the foods that my ancestors ate really do not resemble the foods we now think of as say “Italian Cooking”.
I also notice that many foods here in the states that we label as ethnic foods such as Mexican, or Chinese etc. have been altered to fit the American palate. This got me wondering, how might some of our lost traditional recipes and foods lead us to a healthier more satisfying life?
This may sound naïve, but I do think that a lot of the health issues that this country is plagued by, are linked to our poor Standard American Diet (SAD) diet. I wonder how much of a shift we would see if we all started exploring the foods that our great great grandmothers ate. I wonder what impact that could have on our physical and mental wellbeing? My feeling is that it would have a huge impact. It is with this in mind that I am sharing this month’s recipe.
The few memories I have about my Italian grandmother's cooking, besides it always smelling amazing, is that it was varied and there was always something simmering or braising. The one dish that my Mom made that always stood out in my memory is a dandelion soup that she would make during family holidays. The bitter taste to my young palate was quite off-putting, so I did not voluntarily partake of this soup. In fact, I thought it was really weird and I was somewhat embarrassed that my mom cooked with the backyard weeds!
My other friends never ate the weeds from their backyards. She swore it was a delicious soup that my grandmother had always made, and furthermore that it was normal and delicious to eat dandelions; I was still having none of it. I also heard stories of a wine that some great uncle had a practice of making in my Grandfather's basement from dandelion flowers, yikes!
As a kid I didn’t realize that this soup and that wine were my family’s traditional foods; they just seemed weird and embarrassing. Fast forward 50 years later and here I am getting ready to espouse the benefits of eating and drinking your dandelions. How I wish that at that young age I understood the importance of holding on to my grandmothers’ cooking traditions. It was the early 60’s and that moment was all about how cool and space-age all the new fast and super convenient foods could be. I wanted to be like everyone else, I did not want to pick weeds from my backyard or the nearby creek and learn how to cook them. I wanted to eat a frozen dinner (which we did and then promptly swore to never eat one again). I wanted to try fluffernutter on white bread (yum) and Cheese Whiz on crackers (double yum).
Fortunately, as I grew older this chain of thinking, and my eating, changed. Unfortunately, I was still pretty young when my mother stopped cooking that soup. As I started cooking with dandelion, I asked her if she remembered the recipe, but she did not.
None of her brothers or sisters are left so this recipe is now lost and it makes me really sad. I am sure the loss of traditions and recipes like this is felt by many of us. However, I am happy to say that there is a shift towards exploring traditional foods and recipes, even if it’s not the exact, original recipes. I hope that this continues, and that we can all start sharing the knowledge and love we have for the foods of our ancestors. I believe strongly that food is medicine and therefore through food we can heal this aching world.
So seeing how the family recipe was lost, you might wonder how I came up with the recipe I am going to share. Since mom couldn’t remember and my grandmother is long gone, I started looking up recipes and creating my own versions of Italian dandelion soup. I looked through various cookbooks on Italian cuisine and searched the web for dandelion recipes. I’ve tried it with veggie broths, beef bone broths, chicken stocks, fish stock, all sorts of veggies, meats, seafood, fish and grains.
All of these led me to my very own recipe.
Before I get to the recipe, I want to explore some fun facts about dandelions. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do!
First of all, it is an herb, not a weed.
The lovely dandelion has been used as food and as medicine for thousands of years, and it can be found throughout the world. There was a time when dandelions were encouraged to grow freely. And, all parts of the dandelion can be used from its roots to its flowers. (However, the flower is a valued food for the bees, so please try to allow this wild herb to grow.) The root can be eaten as you would eat any other tuber.
Dandelions are high in inulin, a soluble fiber that feeds our gut bacteria which helps regulate digestion. They can be dried, roasted and used as a tea. Some people like it as a coffee substitute. The flower can also be dried and used as a tea on its own or in combination with the root. Fresh dandelion flowers can be added to salads or soups and of course the amazing dandelion wine that has been a favorite fermentation for many cultures is made from the fresh flower. The leaves are quite bitter, much like arugula, and can be eaten in the same way. It can be cooked and added to eggs, soups, sauces, and pastas. Anywhere you would add greens you can add dandelion greens. The leaves are often flash-boiled in hard boiling, salted water for a few minutes to reduce some of the bitterness. Adding lemon to your greens will help to tame some of the bitter flavor as well.
Nutritionally, the dandelion is a powerhouse of an herb. They are packed full of Vitamins A, C, and K. They are also rich in minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium. They are a good source of fiber and antioxidants. Dandelions are believed to help control blood sugar, lower cholesterol, help regulate blood pressure, and detox the body by supporting liver and kidney function.
I find it interesting that this common herb (weed) is not hyped up more, considering how many beneficial properties it contains. Perhaps the bitterness scares people off? Perhaps our modern societies labeling it as an invasive weed as opposed to a wild medicinal healing herb has given it a bad reputation? I don’t know but either way I am confident that the recipe I am sharing will have you embracing this bitter herb!
The soup is rich and beautifully flavored. It has become one of my favorite comfort foods. I encourage you to try tea made from dandelion root, feel free to add some flowers to the tea and just sip. It is very satisfying and has a lovely roasted flavor. The tea will help to aid digestion and could be a good way to finish off a meal. Try adding some of the greens to a smoothie, or your next quiche. Maybe use the greens for breakfast with eggs, the ways in which to add this herb into your weekly meal plan honestly are endless.
I will say be cautious if you’re foraging for fresh dandelions, be sure that they are not coming from a place that has sprayed any chemical weed killers and the like. Also, I would suggest avoiding high traffic areas. Always wash your herbs well and scrub the roots thoroughly. You can cultivate a space in your yard where you allow them to grow or you can purchase them from your local grocers. You may have to ask your produce department to bring some in. I find them fairly regularly here in Portland but I realize we all do not have access to such a wide variety of produce as we do here in the pacific northwest. Teas can be purchased at most health food stores and online, of course. They are fairly common and easy to find. If finding fresh is a problem, don’t be shy, ask your market if you have access to one to bring some in for you, or ask a neighbor with wild lawn to allow you to pick some of theirs.
I hope you enjoy the recipe and I hope you will experiment with different ways to eat and drink this ancient herb. I also hope you get inspired to look at some of your own ethnic, traditional foods and explore the benefits and joy of getting back to your cultural food roots.
Eat well- Live well- Be Well
Rosie
