Dandelion Greens

About: Dandelion greens are edible wild greens (also known less lovingly as weeds). Like most wild greens, they are at their peak through mid-spring. They have a bitter taste similar to chicory and endive and are highly nutritious! The saying goes: "the bitter the better" for you... we just invented that saying...

Nutrition Information: I cup of Dandelion Greens has 25 calories and 112% of DV of Vitamin A, 32% Vitamin C, 10% calcium and 9% iron. They are low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol. They are a very good source of dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), vitamin K, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, calcium, iron, potassium and manganese. Read More

Storage: Refrigerate greens in the coldest part of the refrigerator and keep them moist but not wet. A damp cotton or mesh bag or paper towels are great for storage- plastic bags are better than nothing, though the greens will go bad more quickly. Without a bag the greens dry up.

Tips: You can eat dandelion greens raw or cooked. They are very bitter so mixing small amounts in with other cooked greens or in a salad is a nice way to go. Most recipes for cooked dandelion greens are pretty fast and easy. Remove the tough stems and cook with olive oil and garlic for a few minutes. 

QuickFix: Mix dandelion greens in with pasta or rice...or check out this great video showing Mark Bittman making Mashed Potatoes with Dandelion Greens. All you need is 2 potatoes, a bunch of dandelion greens and olive oil.

Recipes: Warm Dandelion Greens