Edible Weeds:Grilled Dandelion Greens with Pistachios, Blue Cheese & Honey

Have you ever eaten dandelion greens? I think the first time I ever ate them I was about 10 or 11 years old and playing “Charlie’s Angels” with a couple of my best friends. We were on a “mission” and “stranded in the forest” with “nothing to eat” so we became hunters and gatherers but really, just the latter. As we foraged my neighbors backyard for some “tasty” morsels for our “survival,” we discovered some red and white clover flowers and their leaves, a few buttercups, and some dandelion greens to fill up our baskets because well, that’s what Jill, Sabrina and Kelly would have done in our situation, right? Now, that was back in the days before every lawn had been sprayed with some sort of weird chemical and it was the midwest so the dandelion greens were soft –– not prickly like they are in my Texas yard –– and we did eat them. Not all of foraged greens were consumed back then but we did try them to “survive.”

Today, dandelion greens can still be foraged from your yard if you really want to take the time (or hire the kids), I, on the other hand, think the ones in our yard are way to spike-y so I go the Farmers Market route and just buy them by the bunch. Dandelion greens are said to help cleanse the liver and the kidneys (and after all of the gluttony at the Austin Food & Wine Fest this past weekend –– I could sure use that), and they are high in calcium, Vitamin A & K. They are a wonderful addition to any of those green blender drinks that you want to make or added into a basic fresh salad, but you should try them in this: Grilled Dandelion Greens with Pistachios, Blue Cheese & Honey. Oh, and uh … Charlie says, “Eat your greens.”

Fresh from the market dandelion greens.

Pistachio nuts, blue cheese, honey, and olive oil.

Print Recipe

Grilled Dandelion Greens with Pistachios, Blue Cheese & Honey

Course

Salad

Servings

Ingredients

• 1 Bushel dandelion greens
• 1/2 Cup pistachio nuts roughly chopped
• 1/2 Cup blue cheese crumbled
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon honey

Course Salad Servings Ingredients 1 Bushel dandelion greens 1/2 Cup pistachio nuts roughly chopped 1/2 Cup blue cheese crumbled 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Tablespoon honey

Instructions

1. Heat grill to a medium high temperature.
2. Brush dandelion greens with the olive oil. Place greens onto the grill and cook for 1-2 minutes until they start to wilt and char. Flip greens over and cook the other side. Remove from heat after both sides are slightly charred and wilted.
3. Top with blue cheese and pistachio nuts. Drizzle with honey, add salt and pepper to taste and serve.