ORGANIC - Dandelion

Seeds:  400  / Botanical name:  Taraxacum officinale

The German answer to arugula salad - spicy leaves and sweet blossoms

Every child knows the dandelion, a plant that grows up to 30 centimeters tall, with its characteristic dandelion-like leaves. While dandelions are common, they shouldn't be gathered from just anywhere due to environmental pollution. Therefore, cultivating your own is highly recommended. For container planting, choose the deepest pot possible, as the plant develops extensive taproots.

Natural habitat:  Dandelions originate from Western Asia. They are only found sporadically in the Southern Hemisphere.

Culinary uses:  Dandelions have a long growing season, extending from March into autumn. The best time to harvest the leaves is from April to May, the flowers from April to June, the seeds from May to June and September, and the roots in early autumn or spring. The edible flowers have a sweet taste and make a pretty, edible garnish. They can be used to make dandelion jam or syrup. The leaves have a rather bitter and spicy flavor. However, the older the leaves are, the more bitter substances they contain. Therefore, it's always best to start with the youngest leaves. In the kitchen, dandelion greens serve as a main ingredient or addition to salads, pestos, smoothies, vegetable stews, risotto, and casseroles. The leaves are especially delicious in salads combined with other aromatic herbs such as basil, lemon balm, or thyme, and with walnuts, pine nuts, or hazelnuts that have been lightly toasted beforehand. Dandelion greens also make a flavorful alternative to basil pesto. To make this, fresh dandelion leaves are crushed in a mortar with toasted pine nuts and a good oil, then mixed with pecorino cheese and a pinch of salt.