Dandelion Greens

I enjoy using the farmer's market as a way to push my own cooking boundaries.  There are always vendors selling items I've never tried before and the person who grew it is almost always right in front of me.  If I'm curious about the best way to prepare something or what it will taste like when cooked, they have the answer.  This is what led me to pick up dandelion greens when I saw them being sold by Blue Skys Farm.

Blue Skys always has fantastic produce and flowers and always seems to surprise me with their weekly market offerings.  For a few weeks, at the start of the farmer's market season, they were selling bags of dandelion greens.  I had never tried them, never even realized they were edible, but there they were.

I asked what a person would do with dandelion greens and immediately everyone around said I could add them to salads or saute them with other greens.  I probably should have been on guard when the vendor said she didn't really like them, too bitter for her, but I went ahead and bought them anyway.

Once home, I started searching around on the interwebs to find recipe ideas.  Many articles cited the dandelion greens' bitterness as either its attraction or detraction.  After reading about how bitter they can be, I decided it was best to cook the heck out of them and let them stand alone.  Since I had never tried them before, if they were still too bitter for my liking once cooked, I didn't want to ruin an otherwise perfect dish.

Thankfully, my decision to err on the side of caution proved smart.  I boiled them first in salted water for 10 minutes.  While they drained in a colander, I heated some olive oil in a skillet then cooked a sliced garlic clove for about a minute.  I transferred the greens to the skillet and cooked them for about 5 minutes, until they were thoroughly wilted.

I gave them a taste test and realized they were still way too bitter for my taste buds.  I ended up sacrificing a handful of pea shoots in an attempt to cut the bitterness.  They were added to the skillet and cooked for about 2 minutes, just long enough to wilt the leaves but leaving a bit of crispness to the stems.

The meal wasn't a complete waste.  I had an excellent piece of swordfish as the main component. And, overall, I was glad I tried them.  Now I know that dandelion greens are not my cup of tea.

Farmers Market Finds

As the summer weather begins to ramp up, so do the outdoor farmers markets.  I love shopping at these markets because not only am I supporting my local growers and producers, but I also get to be a bit more adventurous with my purchases.  Local growers, from my own personal experience, will offer items you would not find in your larger grocery stores.  You also get to meet the people growing your food and ask about the products they are offering.  I have walked away from the market with new produce to try and recipe suggestions... just what a cooking addict needs!

I went a couple of weeks ago to one market and walked away with a new type of celery to try.  I also picked up lunch - vegetarian nim chow.  The nim chow was amazing and I will soon be returning to that market for more.

 

 

This celery is a lot thinner than what you would pick up in the regular grocery store and it is a full tube as opposed to the u-shape most of us are probably used to.  I asked the farmer if the entire celery was edible and for preparation suggestions.  She told me I can eat everything, leaves included, and that many people use it in soup.  When I got it home, I decided to throw it raw into a salad.  I will never do that again.  It has such a strong flavor that eating it raw is honestly kind of gross.  The leaves are really bitter and the stalk has what I can only describe as a soapy flavor.  It is simply no good.  So, I gave it a day and gave some cooking options a thought.  The farmer had suggested soup and I had some Arborio rice in the fridge... see where I am going with this yet?

 

 



I decided to make some risotto, flavored with celery and scallions.

Ingredients:

1 scallion - sliced
1 stalk celery - sliced
2 c. stock (1 bullion cube dissolved in 2 c. boiling water)
2 c. water
1/2 c. white wine
1 c. Arborio rice
1 Tbsp oil

Directions:

Heat oil on medium in a large sauté pan.  Add scallions and celery and sauté until tender, approximately 7 minutes.  Add the rice, give it a couple stirs, then add the white wine.  Stirring occasionally, cook until the wine is completely absorbed.  This should take about 3 - 5 minutes.

At this point, incorporate the stock a half cup at a time and then incorporate the water a half cup at a time.  Each addition will take more time to absorb the farther into the cooking process you get.  The first half cup will take 3 - 5 minutes and the last could take up to 7 minutes.

In the end, you get a flavorful risotto that can be used as a side dish.  The celery held up well during the cooking process but, the long and slow cook broke down the flavor and allowed for the celery to come through. No bitterness in this recipe and it is definitely something I will make again.