{"id":3489,"date":"2011-09-29T10:46:42","date_gmt":"2011-09-29T17:46:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/?p=3489"},"modified":"2012-04-02T11:51:29","modified_gmt":"2012-04-02T18:51:29","slug":"just-put-your-lips-together-and-blow-almond-and-dandelion-greens-pesto","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chefmorgan.com\/engine\/just-put-your-lips-together-and-blow-almond-and-dandelion-greens-pesto","title":{"rendered":"Just put your lips together and blow: almond and dandelion greens pesto"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Crushing<\/a><\/p>\n

Just put your lips together and blow: almond and dandelion greens pesto (with pasta and roasted chicken)<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cOne man\u2019s weeds are another\u2019s dinner,\u201d I thought, as I plucked the dandelions growing alongside the sidewalk while a man stared at me as I weeded his front property.  While he saw a runner picking weeds, I saw culinary possibilities. I blew on the feathery flowers (just for fun) and as the fuzzy petals hit the breeze I wished that more people used dandelion greens in their cooking repertoire rather than pass them up. Although I did not eat these (you never know what kind of fertilizer they had…) it was this wish which was the inspiration for this week\u2019s simple pleasure<\/span><\/em>: almond and dandelion greens pesto<\/span><\/em>.<\/span>\"Dandelion<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Dandelions (Pissenlit<\/em><\/span> in French) have been used for culinary and medicinal purposes for years (according to Larousse<\/em>, the name \u201cPissenlit<\/em><\/span>\u201d comes from the green\u2019s diuretic properties\u201d). They are particularly popular in the Mediterranean and throughout France where they are used in soups (dandelion soup is delicious), salads, stirred into braises, stews, and added to broths and soups for color.  Dandelion greens pair well with eggs and are often used in omelets, quiches, and savory tarts. Their best usage depends upon their size: small and delicate greens are best used raw in salads which takes advantage of their pretty shape and delicate earthy taste. The larger dandelions (and chicory varieties) are better cooked (saut\u00e9ed, braised, blanched).<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Pesto<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Dandelion greens can be broken down into two categories: the wild variety and the cultivated. Wild dandelion you see in your neighbor\u2019s yard or your garden if you are lucky enough and the cultivated greens are what you find at the market. Wild dandelion greens are more delicate and flavorful tasting.  Like all tender greens they are sweetest and most plentiful in the early spring. Cultivated dandelion greens are larger and not as flavorful or delicate but are available from the fall to the spring. <\/span>In the market, you may see both red and green \u201cdandelion\u201d but it is usually dandelion chicory <\/em>which is slightly more peppery than dandelion.  Dandelion chicory comes in red and green stemmed varieties such as Red Dandelion, Catalogna, Catalan Chicory, or Red-Ribbed Catalogna. <\/span><\/p>\n

I chose to do a simple pesto recipe this week because it demonstrates this \u201cweed\u2019s\u201d range simply by incorporating the green into one dish. This dairy-free pesto can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for 1-2 weeks. While you have it on hand, you can add it to ingredients you likely already have at home, creating an easy, tasty meal:<\/span><\/p>\n