Dandelion

The leaves, which can be eaten cooked or raw, contain substantial amounts of vitamins A, C and K, and the minerals iron, calcium, magnesium and potassium, along with smaller amounts of vitamin E, folate and other B vitamins. Use the leaves in salads, pesto, soups, stir fries and smoothies. Raw leaves are bitter and may need a honey-based dressing.

The root of the dandelion is rich in the carbohydrate inulin, a type of soluble fibre also found in jerusalem artichokes and yacon, which supports the growth and maintenance of a healthy bacterial flora in the intestinal tract. It can be eaten raw or cooked and is bitter with a turnip-like flavour. Both the leaves and the roots can be used to make a tea or to flavour herbal beers and soft drinks such as the British ‘Dandelion and Burdock‘. The roots of two year old dandelion plants can also be harvested in the autumn, dried and roasted to make a caffeine-free coffee substitute which is (in my opinion!) far superior in taste to most other so-called coffee substitutes! The flowers can also be used raw or cooked, with the unopened flower buds typically used in fritters, or preserved in vinegar and used like capers. Tea can also be made from the flowers, and they can be used to make wine (but ensure all green parts are removed to prevent bitterness).

The flowers are a good source of food for bees and some butterflies, and the later seed heads provide bird food. The leaves provide very nutritious forage for chickens. The tap roots bring up nutrients from the sub soil and may cycle them into the top soil, or the leaves may be harvested and added to compost heaps or made into liquid fertiliser.

The yellow flowers can be dried and ground into a yellow-pigmented powder which is used as a dye, and a magenta-brown dye is obtained from the root.