Dandelions Are Food

Where to start? As I am writing this, I sit here with increased anxiety and on shitty sleep, but hey I got coffee. So I have that going for me. What’s wrong? Well. Three members of my family have covid-19 and it is in my home. That piece of shit made it into my home! Well. I tried to warn my family to be extra careful. I tried to tell them that, perhaps, people should scatter a little more and self-isolate. I did. I fucking tried alright, because I knew there was a high chance of this happening due to one of them working at the hospital. And right now, I am stressed out and just wish for it to be over, but I guess I am also trying not to give up on trying to stay healthy and sanitize my hands and everything as much as I can a hundred times a day. But, it is just a matter of time probably. You know, I miss the times when I could touch my face, or when I was not scared of picking up an item or thinking about that piece of shit! Quite frankly, I am sick of this paranoia that I am now forced into! It is just so hard to stay calm, you know?

This post won’t be a pity party though. We are here to talk about dandelions! As you probably guessed from the title already, I am here to tell you that you can eat flowers. Flowers are not food! Wrong. There are many quite edible flowers. They are weeds. Nope! It’s food for cows and bees! Yes, but you can eat them too and they are very healthy. Do you need the change for a burger, no need to eat the grass! No, no. This is just a page from the old knowledge of the hunters and the gatherers. Dandelions are food, that is something I know since my childhood when my grandmother would pick the freshest greens out of the soil for the salad. However, that is only one of the uses of dandelions! How about dandelion tea or dandelion honey? Or, dandelion snacks, and even wine?

Dandelions are edible from the root to the flower and are loaded with vitamins and minerals that are so vital for us after the wintertime, and especially during this apocalypse. So next time you look at these sunny weeds, I challenge you to see them in a different light. The light of giving your immune system a strong kick to fight the viruses and perhaps even a chance of reducing inflammation in the lungs. Of course, don’t take my word for it. Do your research. And, as with everything wild, be careful about allergic reactions and if you use particular medicines in combination with dandelions. I am lucky enough not to have any issues with allergies or medicines, therefore, today I decided to show you three ways of how to use these amazing plants and as of now I need all the help I can get to stay healthy and strong in this battle with covid.

Let’s jump right into it!

_{What’s with all these greens and yellow flowers? Bees seem to be very happy about them! So am I!}

_{Stinging nettles}

_Sorrels

_{Spring salad right there!}

In the morning, I headed out on the expedition to find the most precious ingredients for my salad. It was beautiful weather and the sweetly scented dandelions were reaching for the sun with the bees humming in the background. The nettles showed resistance to my touch and stung me multiple times as they refused to become my salad. Sorrels, however, did not seem to mind whatsoever. There aren’t many greens in my garden yet, as it still gets quite chilly in the nights and I have managed to sow some seeds only now. In a few weeks maybe. Yet I am so happy to have these treasures in my backyard. The first indicator that the soil has warmed up enough to start sowing some seeds directly into the ground already.

_{It is important to put your dandelions and greens in water for a short while and wash them well before using them. Why? While not so visible at first, dandelions tend to be full of tiny critters that feed on them or hide in them. Putting them in water gives them a chance to escape your salad bowl!}

_Escapees

_{For my salad, I was using only the leafy greens, but you can also add some flowers in there as well if you prefer. Nettles are quite stubborn, yet if you give them a stronger squeeze, they will stop stinging. You don’t want your salad stinging you, do you, unless that is also what you prefer, ha! No, really! It is safer if you unsting them.}

_{I added four boiled, chopped up eggs in the mixture, a pinch of salt, a bit of sour cream, and mayonnaise. And that is it! Simple, yet something out of ordinary and healthy! You probably can experiment with different touches to your taste such as adding lemon juice or some spices.}

_{I gathered a bunch of dandelion flowers too! What to do with those?}

This idea came from the conversation among a lovely bunch of Hiveians. Which led me to look for I bet there is a recipe for deep-fried dandelions too! I wasn’t wrong. Dandelion tempura! Why not? I didn’t even follow any particular recipe since the process is quite simple. All you need is one whisked egg, a bit of flour, salt, dandelion flowers, a frying pan, and oil. If you want to change the flavor a bit more, you probably can use some spices together with salt too. I did not want to alter the taste too much as I was curious how this would turn out.

_{I heated the oil in the frying pan, placed the wet dandelion flowers in the flour, then in the egg, then in the flour again, finally added them in the hot oil, and cooked them until golden adding a bit of salt.}

_{They turned out fantastic! What a fun and crunchy snack! I mean, yes, I was a bit skeptical while making them, but the result was so great, I wish I had known about this sooner! Make a dipping sauce for them on the side or use some spices again for variations. Yummy! I could not tell I was eating flowers, yet those were freaking dandelions!.}

_{Finally, I had some dandelion flowers left over, so I placed them on paper sheets to dry. Even long after dandelions will stop blooming, I will have some of the flowers saved for use as herbal tea later. All the beneficial goodies will be encapsulated in the dried-up flower shells. Pour some hot water over them and voilà! ^^}