Herbal Branch 6: Dandelion fritters anyone?
OHHHHHHH Dandelion!
I love dandelions so much I put one on my logo. I know this Herbal Branch is coming out soon after the last one...BUT with dandelions peaking in their flowering right now, I felt I had to rush this to you. I don't want you to miss this wonderful culinary opportunity.
Why do I love dandelion so much? You know, I could write a book on that. For now, let's just say it's another one of those amazingly delicious and nutritious herbs. It's the plant that inspired me to study herbal medicine. So it MUST be an incredible herb!
For those of you reading the Roots and Branches course, you might have read all about dandelion when you journaled it and made that stir-fry.
Cooking with wild foods is an important part of staying healthy naturally with herbs. There are many ways you can go when you study herbs. In Roots and Branches, which comes free with the Herbal Medicine Making Kit, I provide you with an amazingly healthful foundation in an incredibly simple, fun, and fast course.
In fact, this HerbalBranches newsletter is the "Branches" part of "Roots and Branches." Check it out if you want the foundation information, such as how to pick plants safely and ethically. We also cover how to tell the difference between dandelions and common look-a-likes.
Last time I showed you how to pick nettles and cook with them. In this Branch, my wife Kimberly will take you with her to make dandelion fritters!
"If you want to take medicine, it might as well taste good!"
Dandelion Fritter Recipe
by Kimberly Gallagher
This time of year, one of my favorite activities is making and eating dandelion flower fritters. The simple dandelion is one of our family’s favorite herbs. Did I just say herb in reference to dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)? Yep! This plant is tenacious, despite many folk’s best efforts to eradicate her from their lawns, and thankfully so since she has so much to offer. But, I was going to tell you about fritters.
First of all I love gathering the dandelion flowers – just the tops for fritters. They are easy to pick and so bright and cheery on a sunny day. Usually, I want to pick more than I need, just because the gathering is so fun. Do pick them in the sunshine when they are open, and when you have time to make the fritters right after gathering.
- Bring your basket of flowers inside, find a bowl, and mix together one egg and one cup of milk. Stir in a cup of flour and your fritter batter is ready to go. (If you like your fritters sweet you can add a little maple syrup or honey.)
- Now, prepare a skillet on the stove with gently warmed olive oil – keep it over medium heat.
- Take one of the flowers and hold it by the greens at the base of the flower petals. Dip the petals into the batter and twirl until the flower is covered.
- Drop it into the skillet, flower side down. Continue dipping and dropping flowers, checking the first ones every once in a while to see if they are brown. When they’ve lightly browned, flip them over and brown them on the other side.
- When they’re brown on both sides remove them from the skillet and drain the excess oil on paper towel.
- For a sweet treat, drizzle them with maple syrup, honey, jam, or powdered sugar. For savory fritters try dipping in mustard or adding some savory herbs to the batter.
A second method for fritter making is to pull the dandelion flower petals from the green base and add the petals to the batter. Then you can cook them up just like pancakes.
Not only are the fritters delicious, the dandelion flowers are good for your heart. Dandelion flower tea can help relieve pain from headaches, menstrual cramps, backaches, stomachaches and depression. The rest of the plant (greens and roots) has nourishing, healing properties as well. So, once you’ve fallen in love with the flowers, consider seeking out further information and enjoy blowing her white seeds and making your wishes, knowing that you’re spreading seeds of health throughout your neighborhood.
Roots and Branches Challenge
If you are doing Roots and Branches I have a challenge for you. Can you get dandelion in your diet every day this week? Look in the Susun Weed book, look on-line. I am SURE you can find recipes and ideas.
We want to post YOUR recipe…
Please email me us stories! I’d love to hear of your herbal adventures and what creative way you used dandelions. I’d love to post your most creative way of using dandelions on LearningHerbs.com!
OH! Did anyone make any nettle recipes from the last Herbal Branch? Let me know how it went or how your dandelion fritters go.
If anyone has any home remedies they’d like to share, let me know!
Until our next HerbalBranch Adventure…
-John and Kimberly
PS… Don’t forget to check out Cori’s Wellness Wall Charts.
PPS…. AND don’t forget to check out the Herbal Medicine Making Kit. People are finally making their own herbal remedies. It’s so exciting!
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