Dandelions

I went for a walk in the rain today, it was a spur of the moment thing; I just decided I needed fresh air, grabbed my walking gear and set off. It's always a good idea to have a few plastic bags in one's rucksack in case of exciting foragery, but when I spotted a field full of dandelions I realised that I hadn't brought any today. So after a quick reorganisation of my bag I had to use the side-pocket instead. This was not exactly ideal, for dandelions do stain a little, but it was the best I could do, and I was not about to leave these goodies behind. I hadn't really thought that the dandelions were out yet, but the warm weather last week must have brought them out.

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Dandelion flowers make brilliant jam, and are also really good in salads. The leaves can be dried and used as herbal tea, or they can be added fresh to soups and salads. They have quite a bitter taste, a bit like rocket salad leaves.

As always when foraging, make sure you don't strip the whole area, as there are little critters, like bumble-bees, who depend on the nutrition they give. Also, when picking food off the ground, make sure you don't collect form areas where people take their dog for a walk (for obvious reasons). If on private land, make sure you have the permission of the landowner before picking. Although if you're visiting a friend, I'm sure they'll be delighted if you want to remove some dandelions from their garden.

Once I got home I placed them in a sieve and gave them a good rinse, shook the water off, and prepared to cook with them.