How to Make Dandelion Wine — and Eat the Greens

• Dandelion Wine
• Dandelion Greens Saut&eacute
• 1 1/2 gallons dandelion flowers
• 4 cups honey
• 4 cups sugar
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 pound golden raisins
• 2 gallons water
• 1/2 cup berries (if using natural yeast) or 1 packet white wine yeast

Preparation:

1. Once you’ve gathered the flowers, separate the yellow petals from the base of the blossoms. Place the petals in a sterile bucket with the honey, sugar, lemon juice and raisins. Pour two gallons of boiling water over all, stirring to dissolve the sugar and honey, to form a kind of sweet dandelion tea. Cover and let cool to room temperature.
2. Add the berries or, if using commercial yeast, remove one cup of the cooled tea and pour the yeast into it. Once it starts to bubble vigorously, add it to the tea mixture.
3. Cover, stirring occasionally, for three to four days.
4. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve or cheesecloth, wringing as much liquid as you can from the petals and fruits into a carboy or sterile bucket or jug. Seal with an airlock (available at homebrew supply shops), and ferment for about three months, until fermentation slows.
5. Siphon into a clean vessel and ferment another six months more before bottling.
6. When the wine is still and completely finished fermenting, transfer it into bottles. Age at least three months to mellow; the longer, the better.

Dandelion Greens Sauté

Serves 4-6

For those who enjoy bitter greens — kale, collards, frisée, mustard, chicory — the dandelion represents a frugal substitute. Use its leaves in salads, stir-fries or pesto, anything calling for something coarse and green.

But these babies are definitely best when unceremoniously sautéed as a simple side dish. The unopened buds — plucked prior to bloom — are tender, sweet and mildly floral. They are wonderful alone or served over noodles in a light consommé. Same goes for the greens, but these pack a forceful, bitter bite.

If you want to try dandelions but don’t love bitter, add a shot of sweetness to temper them. You can also mix them with more agreeable leaves, such as chard, kale or spinach, or add a splash of dairy for something resembling a cranky creamed spinach. (If using dairy, cut the vinegar by half and don’t use lemon.) Likewise, zealous fans of gratin can use the greens as a base for a creamy casserole, substituting the dandies for spinach or chard and topping with bread crumbs.

For beginners, here’s a basic recipe, with suggestions for a few easy, low-maintenance additions.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 2 cloves garlic, sliced into spears
• 1 big bunch greens, picked through, washed and cut into four-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons tamari
• 1 tablespoon sweet vinegar

Preparation

1. In a large skillet, melt oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
2. Add the washed, cut greens. Douse with tamari and sweet vinegar (plum vinegar is a nice option and widely available in the Asian section of most supermarkets), and sauté, stirring often, until the greens are wilted and begin to soften, about five minutes.

Variations and additions:

• At the garlic stage, try adding: 1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated, or 1/2 cup onion, shallot or ramps, diced
• When adding greens to the pan, throw in: a handful of chard, beet or radish greens, kale, collards, cabbage, arugula, or spinach. (If using a tender green such as arugula or spinach, sauté dandelions alone for two or three minutes, then add the others, as they’ll cook much faster.)
• With the tamari and vinegar, add: 2 tablespoons lemon juice, apple juice or cider, or 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil. At the very end, toss with: 1/4 cup fresh marigold petals, or 1/2 teaspoon chile flakes, or 1/4 cup heavy cream, kefir or buttermilk

Bites of Spring

The original print version of this article was headlined “Bites of Spring”

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This article appears in May 13-19, 2015.



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