Andrew's ingredient of the month -- Dandelion

Until this year, when I introduced a dog into our backyard, you could typically find me digging up the tender early spring dandelion plants before their blossoms opened. I wasn't ridding the lawn and garden of a pest, but I was enjoying the first harvest of the season.

Personally, I've never understood why dandelions are considered such a blight, since their yellow blossoms are beautiful and one of the earliest flowers. I realize they spread like crazy, but why not thin their ranks with harvesting, rather than weed control? With many municipalities beginning to ban pesticide use on lawns, now is a great time to begin picking.

When to dig up your dandelions
One of the most widespread plants in the world, the serrated leaves of dandelions (the name comes from the French "dent de lion" or lion's tooth) have been nourishing world cuisine for centuries, if not millennia.

The leaves must be harvested before flowering or they will be too bitter (you can harvest older plants in the fall after a frost, which is said to kill the bitterness -- I, personally, haven't tried this yet). Furthermore, since the 19th century, cultivated dandelion has been available, stretching the season. It is readily available on grocery store produce racks and generally available year-round in health and natural food stores. It is less bitter but not as tender as the wild variety. Look for stalks with tender stems. There are green- and red-leafed varieties, some with long and some with short stems. I find the shorter the stem, the better; and the lighter the green leaves, the more tender and sweet.

Make a traditional French salad with tender young dandelion greens dressed with a vinaigrette with bacon or cured pork (lardons), sometimes served with a poached egg, as in Salade Lyonnaise, or hard-cooked eggs. In Korea they are part of seasonal spring "panchan" (side dishes, such as kimchee). The greens are salted until wilted, rinsed and drained, then tossed in a sauce of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, hot red pepper, sesame seeds, sugar, garlic and green onions.

The tender young leaves can spruce up any mixed green salad. Try adding just a handful to your next salad and you'll be surprised at their lively and appealing flavour.