I took these pictures earlier in the spring when the dandelions were in their full glory. I love dandelions. They're amazingly resilient plants and a beautiful shade of yellow. You can make a variety of foods and medicines from all parts of the Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), but today I'm just going to focus on how to make Dandelion Fritters.
The Recipe:
2 Cups of Dandelion Flowers
1 Cup of flour
1 egg
1 Cup of milk
pinch of salt
In a bowl, mix the flour, egg and milk together with a pinch of salt.
Wash the flower heads and allow to drip dry. In a skillet, warm frying oil (I use avocado oil) and bring up to appropriate heat, around 350º F. Coat the flower heads in the batter and carefully place into hot oil. Allow to fry on both sides until the batter is golden brown.
Once browned, carefully remove the flower from the oil and place on a paper-towel to absorb excess oil. Serve.
You can create so many different dishes with this basic recipe! I made mine sweet with a dash of powdered sugar on the fritters. I also used coconut flour and water instead of wheat flour and milk because neither dairy nor gluten agree with me. The point is, you can't really get it wrong. Decide whether you want savory or sweet fritters and then put some dry stuff with some wet stuff, add a binder (egg) and you have batter.
It's a lovely way to interact with the natural world and try something new and fun. Once you dip your toes into seeing the natural world as one of providing and not invading you never know what might happen. You might end up eating the weeds.
Happy Wild-Crafting!