Admiring My Yellow Stained Fingers

Hey There !

Dave from McElhoes Family Farm/Belmont here.

It's finally time! Our crop of dandelions is ready! For the record, we don't sell them, but they are much anticipated. For a brief time each spring, I can be found picking the tender green leaves for dandelion salad. It could not be simpler. I simply fry a little bacon, usually with fresh green onions, pour the bacon - grease and all - over the leaves which will quickly wilt. A sprinkle of vinegar, and the dish is complete.

Elegant in its simplicity, we traditionally used apple cider vinegar, often made from peelings and cores the previous fall. I have to admit though, I sometimes experiment with other vinegars. Wine vinegars, either red or white are a great choice, especially when followed by a Mediterranean style main course. Balsamics are also nice, and the better the quality, the better the results. (Here is my favorite place to get the best balsamic vinegars. More on this later.)

"The man who worries morning and night about the dandelions in the lawn will find great relief in loving the dandelions." ~ Liberty Hyde Bailey

Also, now, an even narrower window of dandelion harvest exists. It is time to make Dandelion Wine! A sunny day is best, so they are fully open. And it needs to be before the livestock are let into the pasture. Not only do they enjoy the dandelions as much as we do, but I like to avoid the them soiling the crop.

We pick the whole flowers into a basket or a breathable paper bag. With as little delay as possible, we sit down in the shade and pick the yellow petals from the green sheath holding them. It takes more than you might imagine. Sometimes we end up making a smaller batch than we intended. A few years ago, I made some unknown mistake, and after waiting months into the winter (when we finally get to drink it), we found it was undrinkable.

This is the part of the newsletter where mostly you would hear about the health benefits and such of consuming this special crop. I suppose I should go into them, but you have the internet, and your own opinions, and I don't really need to lobby you to mine. I am simply celebrating a bit of life, and I hope you find some small thing to celebrate in your life too.

Dave