Dandelion Greens Gratin

Yet another way to enjoy dandelion greens (I am rather impressed that I have found two ways!). I actually heard about this recipe from a fellow JBG CSA member who I took a cooking class from. We liked this--as Curtis said, how can you go wrong with cheese? Serves 4.

Dandelion Greens Gratin
adapted from Fine Cooking

1/2 t butter
kosher salt
1lb dandelion greens, lower stems trimmed, and well rinsed
1 c coarse breadcrumbs
3 T plus 1/4 c Parmesan cheese, finely grated
1 1/3 c heavy cream
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 t lemon zest
pepper to taste
1 1/2 oz goat cheese

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the dandelion greens until tender, 3 - 5 minutes. Drain and spread on a dishtowel to steam and release moisture, 10 - 15 minutes. Use the dishtowel to gently wring the greens and get rid of any moisture.

While dandelion greens cook and cool, bring the cream and garlic to boil, about 5 minutes. As soon as the cream comes to a vigorous boil, remove from heat and let sit for 5 - 10 minutes. Add the lemon zest and season with 1/4 t salt and a little pepper. Stir well.

In a small bowl, combine breadcrumbs and 3 T Parmesan. Set aside.

Coarsely chop the greens. Combine with 1/4 c Parmesan and goat cheese. Mix well. Pour cream over top and lightly stir. Spread in a butter 5 - 6 cup gratin dish. Season with salt and pepper. Top evenly with breadcrumbs.

Bake in preheated 375 degrees oven for 30 minutes, until the liquid is reduced. Serve warm.

Dandelion Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing

I suspect now that I am finally sharing this recipe all the dandelion greens are done with for the season. Next spring, come back to this recipe. It is awesome.

A little background. My Grandma is Mennonite (most of my family is Mennonite, in fact) from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. She was a farmer's wife for years until they moved to Virginia to live with one of her daughters. My memories of her are ingrained with the family farm, with a garden large enough to help stock three families at one point. She had asparagus, strawberries, and lots of sweet corn (and all the other regular things like peas, green beans, lima beans, beets, zucchini...you get the idea). My family would travel to Pennsylvania to help with the produce throughout the summer and for her annual corn roast which included her two sisters and their large extended families. Aaah. Good times.

This recipe comes from her. Back when she was doing all her own cooking, she could make wonderful "farmhouse" meals. She helped publish a fundraiser cookbook. Her cooking ranged from homemade candies (including divinity) to simple weeknight suppers like blueberries and bread soaked in milk (which was documented in her local newspaper as her meal when there was a gas explosion on their farm--not their doing at all--long, unrelated story).

This is one of her simple recipes. I've heard about it for years, but called her for the recipe just yesterday. I'd searched online for a recipe, but the ones I found were very different than this one--usually containing shallots and no eggs. I tried the others one and thought this couldn't be the famous dressing I'd heard about. Sure enough, they weren't even close. Curtis and I both agreed this was the best possible way to eat not so tender dandelion greens--and we both enjoyed it. I used about 1/2 the dressing over my bunch of dandelion greens. Add enough dressing to suit your likes. Reserve remaining dressing in the refrigerate and gently heat before serving.

So, without further ado, I present Dandelion Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing.

Dandelion Salad with Hot Bacon Dressing
traditional Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe, from my Grandma

1 qt Dandelion Greens
1/4 lb bacon
2 eggs
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c apple cider vinegar
1/2 c water


Wash and tear dandelion greens into pieces. Place in serving bowl. Cook bacon until crispy. Reserve 1 T of bacon grease in skillet. Drain bacon and crumble. In a bowl, beat eggs. Stir in sugar, apple cider vinegar, and water. Heat skillet with bacon grease over medium heat. Add the egg mixture and heat, stirring regularly, until slightly thickened, being careful not to scramble the eggs (which would occur if you cook the eggs too long). If you accidentally scramble a little of the eggs, put dressing through sieve.

Pour hot dressing over dandelion greens. Toss. Sprinkle with crumbled bacon.