For most people, spring and the thawing of the ground symbolizes growth, fertility and prosperity. Festivals like May Day, Beltane and other Spring festivals around the world signify the begining of a new season. The ground starts to flourish and grow. Of course, one of the more quintessential sights of Spring is the appearance of Dandelions. Often considered a weed, this wonderfully resilient and nourishing plant is unfortunately abhorred by many people.

In reality, the dandelion is an incredibly versatile plant in that every part of the plant is edible and useful. In salads, teas, smoothies and many more. And the fact that it is such a universal plant makes it an ideal candidate for foraging for human consumption almost anywhere in the world.

Dandelion is a member of the Asteraceae family and literally is found everywhere, across the world. The Dandelion name first developed in the 15th century. It was derived from the Medieval Latin phrase ‘dens lionis’, which refers to the jagged shape of the leaves by calling them a lion’s tooth. This transformed into dent-de-lion in French, and then became Dandelion in Middle English.Dandelion is bitter, cooling, and dry. Its leaves are high in mineral content of calcium, potassium, iron, making it great for anemia and gives it an overall tonic effect. Dandelion’s bitter taste stimulates digestion, eliminates constipation and supports liver cleansing by clearing stagnation and supporting detoxification. A wonderful way to get your body moving after the dormant winter months. Dandelion is also considered an alternative to helping the liver removed toxins from the blood. The first green springtime leaves are less bitter, so if you want a less bitter taste you can harvest these early Spring.

Fresh dandelion flowers can be used in teas, especially a good dandelion chai. And the leaves can be used in salads and smoothies as a way to benefit from its nourishing properties.Dandelions have also had a long symbolic meaning since the Middle Ages.

• Many people consider it as a symbol of flighting through life’s challenges and emerging victorious on the other side much like how the flower seems to grow almost anywhere and everywhere with the least amount of effort showcasing its reliance.
• Others use it as a visual reminder of the sun’s power, especially when depression or grief makes it hard to stay sunny.
• It is also used as a reminder to use intelligence in dealing with every kind of situation.
• And finally, most people agree that the dandelion looks so cheerful and happy, even when it is taking over a sidewalk or shading out grass in a lawn.

Foraging Dandelions

While foraging for dandelions is an easy task, you do need to be careful that what you are collecting is not sprayed with commercial herbicides and pesticides which can be extremely toxic. Because they are considered a weed, dandelions on public property are unfortunately often sprayed with harsh chemicals. So it is best to stick to collecting them either on your own property (as long as you have not used harmful pesticides and weed killer sprays) or areas that you know haven’t been sprayed just to be on the safe side.

When harvesting dandelions go for younger softer leaves that tend to be less bitter.

Dandelion Spring Salad

Ingredients

• A bunch or 1 cup dandelion greens
• 1/4 thinly sliced or finely diced, red or yellow onion
• 1/4 cup of chopped tomatoes
• a few spoons of olive oil
• salt and freshly cracked pepper, to taste
• juice + zest of one lemon

Directions

1. 1. Wash the dandelion greens well and pat them dry
   2. Chop the leaves coarsely or in thin strips depending on how you like your salad greens
   3. Toss with chopped onions, tomatoes and mix well
   4. Add oil and seasoning to taste
   5. You can always dress up the the salad with avocados, boiled corn kernels or even boiled lentils to add more flavor and texture

Dandelion salad is best had fresh and makes for a great side dish too. Avoid adding too much dressing as the bitterness of the leaves might clash with the heaviness of the dressing. Milder and lighter dressing are your best best pairing with dandelion leaves.

Dandelion Tea Brew

The yellow flower of the dandelion plant can also be used in teas. While it is best to pick the flowers fresh for a tea brew, you can also harvest the flowers in Spring, dry them and store them in a dry jar for use through out the year. As with the dandelion leaves, it is best to forage or harvest dandelion flowers from a pesticide free yard.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of clean dandelions
• 2-3 cups of water
• tea leaves of your choice
• sweetener

Directions

1. 1. Place the clean dandelions in a sauce pan.
   2. Cover with water and bring it to a boil.
   3. Add tea leaves and let it infuse for a few hours depending on how strong you like your tea
   4. Strain and serve with sweetener of your choice
   5. Dilute the tea with water if the flavor is too strong

Foraging for foods that are growing in nature is a great way to reconnect with the land. Especially at a time like right now where so much of the world is in a state of flux, nature has the power to connect, soothe and provide in more ways that we can begin to understand. As with any foraging activity, make sure you identify plants correctly and when in doubt, leave it alone.

Have you tried foraging in and around your neighborhood? What have you found?

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