The hillside behind my house is dotted with sunny yellow flowers. Daffodils? Ha! I wish. It’s a bumper crop of dandelions. Whether this is a good or a bad thing depends on how you perceive this pervasive weed.

I own a whole arsenal of tools designed specifically to eradicate dandelions, my favorite being a Canadian contraption called the Dandelion Digger, which works on the same principle as an apple corer (I love that it’s the same cheerful yellow as the dandelion flowers, too). You position the Digger over the dandelion and sink it into the ground, thereby extricating the entire weed, taproot and all.

In theory, regular use of this device would diminish your dandelion population. In reality, it hasn’t made a dent in my “dents de lion,” or “lion’s teeth”, as the French call this jagged-edged green. I am losing the War on Weeds, and unlike some leaders, and weeders, I know when to admit defeat. I am firing my Secretary of Dandelion Defense (aka the Digger) and am ready to try a new tactic.

Marisa got me rethinking my anti-dandelion attitude when she wrote about its many nutritional virtues a while back. And she’s not alone in singing its praises; Mark Bittman writes, in his excellent little paperback Leafy Greens :

“Dandelions are among the most nutritious foods known, containing more protein, fiber, calcium, and potassium than any other green. They’re so loaded with beta carotene that one half expects them to be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration.”

“In Europe,” Bittman notes, “dandelions are so popular that the European farmers cultivate several varieties… dandelion greens have long been used by the French and Italians as a spring tonic for the blood after a long winter…”

Clearly, it’s time to start harvesting the dandelions instead of just digging them up and tossing them in the compost pile. As someone who has zero ability to multitask, I enjoyed the novelty of weeding my garden and gathering my lunch all at once.

But what to do with them? Matt suggested simply grilling the greens with olive oil, which sounded good to me, so he got our Tuscan wood-fired grill started while I dug up dozen of dandelions, rinsed the dirt off, and removed the roots (I know, I know; the roots have lots of medicinal properties, too, but all I wanted, just then, was the leaves).

I also dug up a handful of the wild garlic that’s sprouting up all over our yard, figuring its pungeance would compliment the dandelion’s pleasantly bitter bite.

Matt tossed the greens and garlic with olive oil and grilled them till they wilted and started to blacken, about five minutes or so. He threw a few biodynamic grass-fed beef hot dogs from Hawthorne Valley Farm on the grill as well. We served them on Whole Food’s organic wheat hot dog buns, with a bit of Dijon, a heap of Hawthorne Valley’s excellent raw jalapeno sauerkraut, and a side of grilled dandelion greens.

Our impromptu biodynamic brunch was so good I felt bad that we hadn’t asked friends to join us, but I was hesitant to invite anyone to share a meal consisting, in part, of a much-despised weed. If you enjoy the bitter taste of chicory, escarole, or endive, you’ll like dandelion, too, but it’s a flavor many Americans aren’t accustomed to.

“For the least bitter-tasting leaves, pick the plant, roots and all, before it flowers,” advises Clifford A. Wright in Mediterranean Vegetables. But if your dandelions, like mine, have already flowered, don’t despair. “Store dandelion greens in a plastic bag for a few days before using them, because the bitterness will fade and their flavor will improve,” Wright explains.

I had picked far more greens than we could use, so I took Wright’s advice and kept them in the fridge for several days before using them in a salad for last night’s dinner. The greens tasted great combined with beets, bell peppers and blood oranges, a nice blend of sweet and bitter flavors.

But I still have plenty of dandelion greens left over (and more where those came from,) so tomorrow I’m going to try an authentic Italian recipe, courtesy of my friend Sue’s Aunt Francesca (see below).

As Mark Bittman observes, dandelions are “cheap, plentiful, and easy to grow. With luck, they will be native to your area and reasonably fresh.”

It doesn’t get any more native than your own backyard, nor any fresher. It’s kat-certified organic, too. Cheap? Try free. So, bowing to the wisdom of Marisa and Mark Bittman, I’m going to count my blessings, and collect my dandelions. If you’d like to follow my lead, here are two ways to enjoy this weed:

Kat’s Spring Tonic Salad

(serves 4, or 2 as a main course)

for the salad:

4 cups young dandelion greens, washed and dried

2 blood oranges, peeled and divided into sections

1 red, orange or yellow bell pepper, sliced into thin strips

2 medium cooked beets, grated

1 red onion, finely chopped

1/4 cup toasted walnuts

for the dressing:

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar (balsamic is fine, too)

salt & pepper to taste

Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl. Mix dressing, and pour over salad.

Chicoria é Patate di Zia Francesca

(serves 4)

4 potatoes

2 pounds dandelion greens

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 whole cloves garlic

1 dried red pepper

salt to taste

Boil the potatoes and greens separately, till done (cooking time will vary, depending on how big or small your potatoes are, and how young, or old, your dandelions). Pour cold water over the greens to prevent bitterness. Squeeze out excess water. Cut potatoes and greens into 1-inch pieces. Mash potatoes roughly with a fork, leaving a few lumps.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a saucepan. Add garlic cloves and pepper, and sauté till garlic is golden. Add potatoes and greens, with a sprinkling of salt, and mix thoroughly, cooking till the potatoes are slightly browned.