Instead of poisoning dandelions, try harvesting the flowers on a sunny summer afternoon.
Gather approximately three cups of dandelion flowers, separating them from the stem, and keeping the green sepal at the base of the flower, if you choose.
I remove the green sepals, but some people cook with them when they fry individual blossoms.
1. Rinse the blossoms and drain on a towel.
2. Mix dry ingredients: A good use for those crumbled corn chips at the bottom of the bag, or the last of the cold cereal, is to mix that with flour until you have a cup of dried ingredients.
3. Mix wet ingredients: Beat an egg together with one cup of milk (or soy milk). Add more liquid if the batter is too stiff.
4. Blend in the dried ingredients.
5. Dip blossoms into batter: If you have the time and patience, dip each blossom into the batter. I’m way too lazy to fry each blossom individually, so here’s what I do:
I mix the blossoms into the batter, just like I would if I were mixing berries into pancake batter.
6. To cook: I warm my cast iron skillet on medium heat, add about an inch of olive oil, and scoop a serving-spoon of batter into the oil.
I put as many spoons of batter as fit in the skillet and when they bubble at the edges, I check to see if they’ve turned brown, and flip them over.
It takes just a few minutes for these fritters to puff up and turn golden.
7. Drain the browned fritters on a paper towel.
Options:
1. Eat them plain.
2. Mix different spices and flavors in the dry ingredients. Some people like mustard or other savory flavors.
3. Top the cooked fritters with powdered sugar, maple syrup or honey, if you have a sweet tooth.
The blossoms do not taste anything like the greens, so be prepared for a delicate, slightly sweet tasting flower.