GREEN IT UP! IT’S DANDELION SEASON!

About a month ago I visited the first place I ever picked dandelions: a small, pebbly beach on the Greek island of Alonissos, in the North Sporades islands. The beach’s name is Gialia, which means glass, and the sea is indeed clear as glass there. An old stone windmill stands guard on the left, and in the center, where there used to be a stand of whispering bamboo, a water desalination plant hums and gurgles. I poked around in the rough ground nearby; and there, scattered amongst the rocks, were the dandelions I remembered.

We used to gather them in October, after the rains came, equipped with a cheap kitchen knife with a plastic handle and a short blade, easy to manoeuvrer between the stones into the hardpacked sand. I learned to slice the whole plant off at the root and to peel away the dead brown leaves before putting the plant into the bag. At home, we washed the dandelions by holding them by the crown and plunging them up and down in a bowl of cold water. That’s still the best way. Then cut the crown off so you’re left with individual leaves.

In the Yukon, now’s the time for eating dandelion leaves—later in the season they become tough and their native bitterness becomes more pronounced. You’ll find that even the young plants have a slightly bitter aftertaste, like radicchio or some endives. For this reason, dandelion leaves are a great addition to mixed-leaf salads. In pesto, that hint of bitterness is a bracing counter-flavour to pungent garlic and sharp parmesan, and the oil smooths everything out.

As always, stick to wild places and unsprayed lawns when picking dandelions, and eat sparingly, at first, if you’re not used to them, in case you have an allergy you aren’t aware of.

Green and White Lasagne

Ingredients Instructions

❑ 1 Tbsp olive oil

❑ 1 cup chopped onion

❑ 1 cup chopped fennel stalks

❑ 2 cups chopped dandelion greens

❑ 2 cups chopped kale

❑ Pinch of salt

❑ 1/2 tsp black pepper

❑ 2 cups ricotta cheese

❑ 1 egg

❑ 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

❑ 1/2 tsp black pepper

❑ 1 1/2 cups dandelion pesto

❑ 3 cups grated mozzarella

❑ 1 cup grated Parmesan

❑ 16 lasagne noodles

Makes one 9 x 13-inch pan, enough for 9 to 12 servings.

• Preheat oven to 350°F. To cook the kale and dandelion-green mixture, heat olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan over medium heat. Once it’s shimmering, add onion and fennel and sauté until softened, about 7 minutes.

• Stir in dandelion greens and kale, and cook just until wilted. Stir in salt and pepper and remove from heat.

• Beat the egg into the ricotta cheese until blended. Stir in nutmeg and pepper.

• Cook the lasagne noodles just until al dente, or use oven-ready noodles.

• Spread 1/2 cup of ricotta in the bottom of a 9 x 13 baking dish. Layer four lasagna noodles over top, three lengthwise and one crosswise

Dandelion greens

at the end. Spread half the pesto over the noodles (I find a fork works well), followed by half the remaining ricotta. Sprinkle lightly with mozzarella. Layer another four lasagne noodles on top.

• Spread the dandelion and kale filling over the noodles and sprinkle liberally with mozzarella. Layer four noodles on top.

• Spread the remaining pesto over the noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta. Sprinkle with mozzarella. Place the final layer of noodles on top. Spread with the remaining mozzarella and parmesan.

• Bake uncovered for one hour, covering the top with a piece of parchment if it is browning too quickly. Let sit for about 10 minutes before cutting in and serving.

Dandelion Pesto

Ingredients

❑ 3 cloves garlic

❑ 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

❑ 2 cups chopped dandelion leaves, packed (2 or 3 good-sized plants)

Instructions

❑ 11 cups grated Parmesan cheese

❑ 3/4 cup olive oil

❑ ½ tsp kosher salt

❑ ½ tsp black pepper

• Thoroughly wash the dandelion greens, changing the water three or four times. You really can’t skimp on this step. Dry the washed greens in a lettuce spinner or in a tea towel. Coarsely chop the greens.

• Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat, just until they begin to crackle and pop. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

• Combine garlic and pumpkin seeds in a food processor and blend until finely chopped. Add lemon juice and Parmesan, and blend again. Pour in the oil in a steady stream while the machine is running, until the mixture is creamy. Use at once or store in the fridge for up to one week.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups. ■