Should Utahns Be Killing This Plant or Eating It?

You know that obnoxious weed with yellow flowers growing in your lawn every year? Instead of spraying it, maybe you should eat it. Turns out the humble dandelion is edible. Here’s what the Utah State University Extension Office has to say about it. 

Extremely versatile in the kitchen and found easily, dandelions add zip to any meal. Buds and leaves are best when picked young. Leaves are edible both raw and cooked; try them tossed in your favorite stir-fry, salad, or soup. Flowers are great frittered or used in dandelion wine, while the roots are often steeped for tea or pickled. 

I’m sure I have eaten the leaves in one of those salads the frou frou places like to serve. You know the one that look like they grabbed a hand full of weeds from the garden. They drench it in some oily dressing and act like it is the best salad ever served even though they barely pick at it. 

I have never heard of dandelion fritters, but here is a recipe for it. Dip those suckers in batter and throw them in a pan with oil. When they are crispy you can roll them in icing. The sugar will hide the fact that you are eating a fried flower. 

I would kind of like to try a pickled dandelion root. I don’t know why. I guess I just like pickles. USU says the dandelion is chuck full of vitamins and good for you in many ways.

So, there you go, start eating those dandelions when they pop up in your lawn. Even better, come harvest the ones from my front yard. I seem to have a knack for growing them.