Dandelion pesto recipe

Our little Segurian courtyard is filled with dandelions, no flowers yet, just the lovely little leaves. Usually I weed the courtyard, making way for the bright green moss that I love. It grows in the shade underneath the dandelions and sparkles in the sunlight when exposed. 

This week however, I decided to do a little reading on the ever present dandelion greens. It turns out dandelion greens are very nutritious. They have concentrations of beta-carotene than carrots, and more iron and calcium than spinach. By eating, as opposed to composting this ubiquitous little weed, you also get vitamins B-1, B-2, B-5, B-6, B-12, C, E, P, and D, biotin, inositol, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc.

Worth a try I guess! Apparently the term dandelion comes from the old French of “dent-de-lion” lions tooth, after the saw-toothed shape of the dandelion leaf. I picked a couple of large handfuls of the smaller leaves – these are less bitter that the larger leaves, and set about making pesto. The pesto was quite bitter, but still made a tastier dip than anything store bought, and was especially good smeared in the base of vegetable tarts, and mixed with a little cream fraiche in pasta dishes.

Dandelion leaves are tougher than basil leaves, which can be mixed nicely into pesto by chopping and then pummelling with a mortar and pestle. I used a hand blender to chop and blend the leaves together. If you use a hand blender be aware that leaves may collect in the blade. This happened to me and I (incredibly stupidly) attempted to free them, blending my finger as a result... a quick, painful trip to the pharmacie ensued. If you do need to clear the blade be sure to turn the power off.

Here’s the recipe, I hope you like it.

Recipe:

Three handfuls of young washed and chopped dandelion leaves

Half a cup grated parmesan cheese

!/4 cup olive oil

Sea salt

Step One: In a large mixing bowl place the dandelion leaves, parmesan cheese and half of the olive oil. Mix with a hand blender. This will take a while as the leaves are slightly tough. Slowly add the remainder of the olive oil and salt to taste. The finished consistency should be smooth and bright green.  

Super healthy Romanesco salad recipe

A few days ago, I was lucky enough to come across a lovely head of Romanensco at a local market. An Italian vegetable by origin, it seems someone has an eye for its sculptural and slightly futuristic beauty, or perhaps it’s subtly nutty flavour, here in France.

Apparently Romanesco, a member of the Brassica family of vegetables, which also includes broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage, was developed through selective cultivation in 16th century Italy. Appearance wise, it may well be the most stunning vegetable you ever meet. Its strong geometric form and lime-green colouring must have appeared as otherworldly 500 years ago, as it does today.    

The Romanesco is made up of intricate, repetitive swirls. Each floret is comprised of countless smaller conical florets. The incredibly symmetrical fractal pattern, is described by mathematicians as logarithmic, by Creationists as evidence of “God’s great work” despite it being recorded historically as a cultivated variety, and by gardeners and chefs alike quite simply, as beautiful.      

As well as being gorgeous to look at Romanesco is packed with nutrients, and easy to prepare. You can eat it raw, with hummus, or steam it for a few minutes as I did. It’s got a sweet creamy and slightly flavour. This recipe with a simple dressing, fresh goats cheese and sundried tomatoes, is simple, and allows the full taste of the Romanesco to shine through. I hope you like it!

Recipe

(serves two as a main dish)

One head of Romanesco

10 chopped sundried tomatoes (chopped)

 2 tablespoons chopped/crumbled Fromage Frais (or soft goats cheese)

Three table spoons olive oil

Juice of one lemon

Two tea spoons wholegrain mustard

Ground black pepper

Step One: Chop the Romanesco into florets and steam until al dente.

Step Two: Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard and some ground black pepper in a jar. Put the lid on and give it a good shake.

Step 3: In a large bowl mix the Romanesco, sundried tomatoes, fromage frais and dressing. Serve warm, or at room temperature.