Have you noticed that alongside the daffodils that seem to be everywhere, there are also bursts of yellow from dandelions? They too are so pretty and brighten up banks of green in our lovely city of London – or the suburbs in my case.

Dandelion – Taraxacum officinale
Like many, I’ve disregarded these these plants. Sunny and cheerful as they are, they also make the lawn look rather untidy and grow up in places I don’t want them to grow at the allotment. But I was reading an article by Jekka McVikar that I stumbled upon online where she talks about the bitter dimension that’s missing from our diets. This is very true in my household as I rarely buy chicory or chard.
Easy to find with a myriad of health benefits
It’s not difficult to find dandelions but this time of year really is the best time to pick the leaves for eating. They are only just starting to pop up, so source leaves that are thin and part of a plant that has not yet budded. These will be earthy, a little nutty and not so bitter. Also source them somewhere they are unlikely to have been chemically sprayed. My allotment had lots. I had to stamp the nettles down a little to get to them but my neighbours humoured and helped.
In folk medicine the dandelion is a powerful healer. It was used to purify blood and settle the digestive system. It’s said to be rich in vitamin K and A thus good for the skin and our eyesight and rich in fibre and iron – a bit like spinach I suppose. What I like the most is that a handful has about 10% of the RDA of calcium so throw a few into a morning smoothie for breakfast or pick a batch on the way home for a curry or stir fry or salad. Much nicer than popping a supplement pill.
A Feta and Dandelion Tart
I read that dandelion leaves retain their nutrients when cooked so I also made this Feta and Dandelion Tart. It was difficult to taste the dandelion specifically but I felt rather virtuous knowing the leaves were so healthy and of course sourced at no cost.
Dandelion and Feta Tart
Notes
Method
It’s true! Dandelions are actually my absolute favorite flower due to their medicinal benefits, nutritional value, and their positively sunny outlook in the face of all the criticism they get.
I once read a poem that I loved so so much about a dandelion. I can’t remember the name, who wrote it, or where I found it.
“I seem to have lost my smile.
But do not worry.
The dandelion has it”
Dandelions are pretty awesome 🙂
That’s a beautiful poem and perfectly describes their sunniness!
What a lovely post Urvashi. We shall take the time to forage when we are out of London next week.
Thanks Helen! Happy foraging 🙂
Lovely – I used dandelions to decorate some of my cakes last year but it’s great to have ideas for savoury treats, too.
They don’t taste particularly sweet so are a great choice for savoury. You can fritter the flower heads like elderflower but there really isn’t much of a taste.
Beautiful tart Urvashi – love the use of pine nuts
Thanks Sally. I wish pine nuts weren’t so expensive here. Sunflower seeds would work just as well though