Stephencooks

Growing up as a suburban kid in the midwest, I first met the dandelion as an enemy to civilization and order, and in fact was paid a per-plant bounty by my lawn-obsessed father for removing the intruders as they appeared  -- but only if I presented them with the deep white taproot intact. When at some point I heard that people ate this foul and disgusting enemy of all that's right in the world I assumed, first, that one had to be desperate to be forced to eat such fare (I imagined lost children foraging in vacant lots and along railroad tracks), and second that I would certainly never allow myself to fall to such depths. (My father felt the same way about mussels  --  growing up on the Connecticut shore in the 20's and 30's, he thought of them as slimy fish bait and never ate one in his life. He even squirmed if he was somehow reminded that people actually ate them.)

But our understanding of what is food and what is trash evolves. I love mussels, in spite of my father's best efforts to discourage me from eating them, and so too have I come to appreciate dandelion greens, as they've graduated from foraged fare to the supermarket produce section. Somewhat bitter and, if cooked correctly, with a bit of crunch still in the stems, they partner well with garlic, onions and vinegar, and postitively shine in the presence of hot peppers and some salt.

This version is simple and quick and takes advantage of the best qualities of the lowly dandelion. It works particularly well if sharing a plate with a hearty roast of pork or lamb, or perhaps a stew.