Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)

(This post is part of a week long blog-a-thon to celebrate Massachusetts Farmers Market Week.  This blogathon is sponsored by In Our Grandmothers? Kitchens; please also consider a donation to Mass Farmers Markets. The organization?s donation link is here.)

When I wrote the bulk of this post in May of this year, I didn't think I would end up cultivating my very own dandelion plant.  But, it turns out that this dandelion has been going strong all summer, thriving in a relatively shady spot near the compost bin.

History: The Common dandelion, or just dandelion, is so common everywhere that it's hard to believe that it was actually native to just one continent, Eurasia, at one point not so long ago.  It is now considered "cosmopolitan" which basically means you can find it everywhere!

Growing: There is limited commercial cultivation of dandelions for their greens, but for the most part they are indeed a weed that can outgrow almost anything.  The seeds can lie in the ground for up to nine years and still germinate when the conditions are favorable.  In order to get yourself a nice leafy dandelion plant, in needs to be somewhat stressed - for example in a shady spot.  If you see flower stalks going up, remove them at once so the plant can put all of its energy into leaf-making. 

Harvesting: You can take all the leaves you want; a well established dandelion can grow back from a complete beheading - part of the reason they are so tenacious!

Eating and Processing: The most commonly eaten part are the greens, which are fine raw when young, but should otherwise be braised.  The flowers are also edible - raw when just buds, or as dandelion wine when open (here is a recipe).  Finally, even the roots are apparently edible - when dried, roasted and ground they apparently make a good coffee alternative.

Health Information: Dandelion greens are pretty darn good for you.  They obviously have a fair bit of fiber (2 grams in one cup) and lots of vitamin A (112% RDA) and C (32% RDA).  They also have a whopping amount of vitamin K (535% RDA).

Dandelion is suspected to have medicinal effects as well.  It is commonly thought of as a diuretic, although there are some conflicting results on this end.  It may share some anti-cancer properties with the shiitake mushroom.  There have been essentially no clinical trials to examine the efficacy and/or safety of dandelion as a medicine.

Sustainability: As long as you nip it in the bud, literally, a carefully placed dandelion will thrive locally but won't take over the entire yard.

Relevant Blog: Urban Forager (NY Times)

Bottom Line: Forget the rumors of bitter taste, try some dandelion greens now!

References:
1. Wikipedia
2. Dandelion nutrition facts
3. Sloan Kettering info on dandelion