With the dandelions sprouting up joyously everywhere this time of year, I was pondering if I could do something useful with them. Capers sells dandelion greens for a pretty substantial price and I’ve heard of dandelion wine but what else could there be? It seems others are pondering the same question as looked in my inbox and saw a thread from the Vancouver Permaculture Network discussing what they can be used for. For the curious, follow
the links links below.
I tried out the dandelion fritter recipe. It was interesting. If I do it again, I would make the batter a little more exciting that they do in the recipe below. I think a pancake batter recipe with a little salt, ghee or oil, plus a bit of vanilla or cinnamon would make them a little more exciting. I would stick to their suggestion to cook them in a cm of oil so the bottoms brown evenly. I didn’t. The flower side browned up no problem but the stem side can’t all touch the pan at once, only browning a part and leaving the rest a little raw.
They were somewhat bland on their own so I covered with a bit of maple syrup and they became a fun pancake replacement.
References
Now that I have time to be domestic, I’ve been wondering what I can’t make in my sunoven! This week’s new experiment: Hummus. I soaked a cup of dried chick peas overnight and then placed them into the sunoven around noon. It’s still a little early in the year so the maximum temperature only reached 250 degrees Fahrenheit - still hot enough to boil water!
I left them to simmer for about 3 hours, turning the oven roughly every 30 minutes to an hour. They were very done when I took them out. Half that time probably would have been sufficient! Now all I need is a few solar panels to run my food processor.
The following recipe for Indian-Style is available from the divine Modern Ayurvedic Cookbook.
Indian-Style Hummus
- 3 cloves garlic (to reduce Pitta: only use 2 cloves)
- 1/4 green Serrano chili pepper, or more to taste (or your choice of chili sauce - to reduce Pitta: omit)
- 1 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 cups (sunoven) cooked or canned (ick) chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 2 tbsp tahini (ground sesame seeds)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp olive oil (I used canola and flax)
- 1/4 tsp group cumin
- 1 tsp salt, or to taste
Directions
In a food processor (or blender if you feel like your day hasn’t been difficult enough), pulse garlic until chopped. Add the green chili and cilantro and pulse. Add all remaining ingredients and blend until smooth.
Some personal tips! I would start with a little less salt and add cautiously. Don’t over do the lemon! I like to add a bit more oil, cumin and a bit of water to thin and moisten the mixture. Be cautious on the raw garlic, unless you are sharing with everyone in your house, especially if you are planning on enjoying time with a partner under the sheets.
