Page 61 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Dandelion, Taraxacum

officinale (ASTERACEAE)

DANDELION is an herbaceous perennial weed that
grows from a large taproot and can be 2 to 16 inches (5-
40 cm) tall, and sometimes even taller. It forms a bas-
al rosette of leaves with stems holding single flowers.
Their purple tinged stems exude a milky latex.
FLOWER: Each stem has green bracts at the base of the
2-inch (5 cm) flower, which is made up of multiple rings
of 40 to 100 small yellow florets. These develop into
seeds with a silky grey parachute, forming the familiar
2-inch (5 cm) blow-ball, or spherical seed head.

LEAF: Leaves are oblong, dark green with a midrib, and and used to make tea, or as a coffee substitute.
2 to 18 inches (5-45 cm) long and an inch or two (2-5
DANDELION BREAD: You’ll need a handful of dan-
cm) wide. The margins are often lobed or toothed.
delion flower heads, 2 cups flour, 2 tsp. baking pow-
EDIBLE PARTS: flowers, flower buds, leaves, and roots
der, 1 egg, salt, 1 cup milk, 3 tbsp. vegetable oil, ½
KEY MEDICINAL USES: It has diuretic properties. cup honey. Pre-heat the oven to 400˚F. Add flour,
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Leaves are great in sa- baking powder, salt, and dandelions into a bowl. Stir
lads, preferably picked when young before the plant flo- lightly. Whisk the oil, egg, milk, and honey; pour the
wers, and can also be steamed and used like spinach. mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir until incorpo-
They are slightly bitter in taste so using lemon juice rated but not over-mixed. Pour batter into a pan.
can help. You can use flowers to make tea or fritters. Flow- Bake for 15 min. Lower temperature to 350˚F and
er buds can be pickled like capers. Roots can be roasted bake for 20 more min. Leave to cool before serving.

Daylily, Hemerocallis spp.
(ASPHODELACAEA)

DAYLILY is an herbaceous, grass-like perennial that
grows from a basal rosette of upright, bowing leaves
and flower stalks 3 to 6 ft. (1-1.8 m) high. As the name
suggests, each blossom lasts about a day. Orange daylil-
ies, Hemerocallis fulva, are said to be the tastiest.

FLOWER: There is a vast assortment of daylily flowers.
The Hemerocallis fulva flower is called Tawny daylily and
has 5-inch (12 cm) tawny orange, upright facing, tubu-
lar, six petaled flowers surrounding the lighter colored
center with a pale line running up the center of each pet- Mrs. Gemstone, CC-BY-SA-2.0
al. Each flower stalk or scape can hold 10 to 20 flowers,
or cooked. Young shoots and leaves can be eaten raw
which open in succession.
or cooked before they become too fibrous. Young tu-
LEAF: Leaves are grass-like, 1 to 3 ft. (0.3-0.9 m) tall, bers can be eaten raw or cooked and taste like small,
clump forming, and arching in a light green color. sweet fingerling potatoes.
EDIBLE PARTS: flowers, flower buds, young shoots, and PAN FRIED DAYLILY BUDS: Harvest buds before
roots they open and gently rinse. In a heated pan, melt but-
ter and add salt. Toss buds in and fry for a couple of
KEY MEDICINAL USES: May help fevers, pain, and in-
minutes and serve warm.
fection.
WARNING: Hemerocallis are toxic to cats.
HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: Pick freshly opened
flowers to decorate salads or to blanch and dry. Un- POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Iris spp. - There are
opened flower buds are delicious and can be eaten raw over 200 species of Iris and the entire plant is toxic.
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