Question about a certain salad

Ravvenn · Post by **Ravvenn** » May 16, 2004, 1:38 am

My Grandmother is German, you get 'the look' if you question what is in the food. She makes what she calls dandelion salad and we have to eat it. I've only figured out that there is one thing in it I am certain of which is vinegar and it does look like she chopped up dandelions, but I'm not positive. Something in there look like bacos but they do not taste like bacos.

Do any of you know if this is an actual recipe and if she is really picking these weeds out of the same yard my dads dogs pee in and making us eat it?!

She just dropped some off earlier today and I got to thinking about it and figured I'd see if anyone else has heard of this or even tried it.

Ps: It really doesn't taste bad, but I can't help but want to know what I am eating. I wonder that about a lot of what she cooks but I fear asking her because I'd get the 'My German Mother would blister my bottom if I asked her about what she was cooking!'

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » May 16, 2004, 1:43 am

Dandelion greens are

...it's entirely possible that she is using actual dandelions...

Pherr the Dorf · Post by **Pherr the Dorf** » May 16, 2004, 2:47 am

Dandelion greens and nettle tops are fucking awesome (the latter should be cooked

), young tender dandelion greens are good for salads, the biggers ones sauteed then braised in alil stock go great with a sweet gamey meat like daffy duck.

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » May 16, 2004, 3:59 am

New Thistle growth is also nice...

Also Oxalis leaf is nice occasionally but intake should be very limited as Ca + Oxalic Acid --> Calcium Oxalate = Kidney Stones

I would be very careful of eating Nettles though...Most of the Nettles are Solanaceae and most of Solanaceae are toxic...

...And some of them are excruciatingly painful to touch...

I think my favourite backyard salad ingredient is Redbud (Cercis canadensis) flowers...Nice colour and a mildly sweet flavour...

...

Many Violets are nicely sweet to the taste and Nasturtiums are nice and peppery...

Here is a decent page featuring a lot of edible flowers etc...

Be sure and don't pick them and eat them at random places...They may be covered in pesticides...And NEVER eat any plant if you aren't absolutely sure what it is and that it's not toxic...

Ravvenn · Post by **Ravvenn** » May 16, 2004, 12:47 pm

Thanks! I have never really heard of that aside from her. She comes up with a lot of things, her creations she calls them. She will be 100 come Jan. :O but she cooks pretty much every day and then calls me (it's cute) "I was wondering if you happened to have any food tasters in your house?" It used to mean she made me pie, but now it's just random things she cooked.

She makes the best goulash (sp?) I wish I could ask her how to make it but she will take that to her grave with her too. My other Granny did that with this vegetable soup and I miss it sooo much!

Arborealus · Post by **Arborealus** » May 16, 2004, 1:53 pm

Ravvenn wrote:Thanks! I have never really heard of that aside from her. She comes up with a lot of things, her creations she calls them. She will be 100 come Jan. :O but she cooks pretty much every day and then calls me (it's cute) "I was wondering if you happened to have any food tasters in your house?" It used to mean she made me pie, but now it's just random things she cooked.

She makes the best goulash (sp?) I wish I could ask her how to make it but she will take that to her grave with her too. My other Granny did that with this vegetable soup and I miss it sooo much!

Tried getting in the kitchen with her?...Maybe just say "Let's make some goulash" and go at it...She'll be compelled to correct your "mistakes" teaching you her recipe in the process...

..This worked well on my grandmothers...