Scavenging: Dandelions

I was at a graduation dinner imbibing a salad of greens and berries, when the subject of scavenging came up. One diner at my table works as a surveyor and described spots he's worked where he had to hack his way through wild blackberry thickets.

Another diner described a meal at the American Restaurant, Kansas City's finest (?). He took his wife and her married twin there to celebrate their birthday one year. He said it was the one dining experience he'd ever had where he felt "out of his league." The twin's husband had done yard work all day and stared aghast at the swanky salad brought to him--a plate of dandelion greens!!!

A third diner, our freshman history professor, told us that dandelions are not native to North America and were in fact brought here by immigrants to supply themselves with fresh greens. They ate the petals, the leaves, and the roots.

Years ago, when my children were small, we made dandelion wine with a bottle and a balloon. More recently, I have eaten dandelion greens from my mother's lawn at the Lake of the Ozarks. Pick, wash, pat dry, and serve up with a hot vinaigrette. Crumbled bacon adds a nice touch.

Not recommended for dandelions in most suburban yards!