Thyme After Time: Sweet Dandelion, Braciole With Dandelion Greens and Prosciutto

The Story of a Wandering Gypsy

Please note, although this story is based on an actual event, it is not my intention to diagnose or cure any disease. Only your doctor can do that. I am here only to share my story and entertain you.

I wasn't feeling quite up to par one day. My back was a little sore and I wondered if I could have gotten a kidney or bladder infection. Money was a little tight and my doctor had just retired. I didn't want to go see a doctor...but who ever does want to go see a doctor?

It just so happened a friend of mine, seeing I was miserable, shared a story with me from "the old country".

Years ago, his uncle was very young and very ill. The doctors had all but given up on him and told his mother to take him home so he could be around his family for his last few days. Of course she was heart broken and was outside on the porch one crying.

A gypsy man passing through town, seeing her crying, walked up and asked what was wrong.

She explained to him how ill her son was and that the doctors hadn't given him long to live.

The stranger said "I'm going to give you some advice. I usually charge for it but in your case I'll let you try it first and the next time I come through town, you owe me $5.00."

"Please tell me. I'm willing to try anything at this point."

Make a tea of dandelions, roots and all and give it to your son. He will recover."

With that the stranger was on his way.

The mother gathered every dandelion plant she could from her own yard and all of her neighbors and served her son dandelion tea for days. Slowly he began to feel better and ended up making a complete recovery. In fact he lived happily and healthy until well into his 80's. Oh and the stranger? He never did find his way back through that small town.

Upon hearing this story, I laughed a bit. It did seem quite unbelievable. I did, however pick up the phone and call my husband and asked him to search out dandelions at the store. After three stores he eventually found me a tea that contained dandelions and although the taste was quite off-putting, I drank the tea. I felt better pretty quickly and was pretty shocked.

I can't really say one way or the other if I was "healed" with the dandelions or if it was a placebo effect...or just one of those crazy things but I do know this....

Upon researching dandelions, they are ten times more healthy than spinach, which is pretty amazing. They've got all kinds of micro nutrients and online have been credited with everything from detoxing, to losing a few pound, curing liver disease...some people even claim it cured cancer. Of course, that's just crazy, isn't it?

What's amazing to me is something so many of us try to go out of our way to get rid of on our lawns, may be one of the healthiest foods out there, and it's right under our nose.

Those little yellow flowers are like little guardian angels, sitting there, waiting for us to notice them and "befriend" them.

They keep coming back, letting us know no matter how hard we try to ignore them, they are always there waiting for us to notice them, to enjoy them, to use their gifts of health and vitality they have to offer to us.....

As I drive around this time of year, seeing all the pretty yellow flowers everywhere, I no longer think of them as weeds. I think of the mysterious stranger wandering through a town and helped cure a little boy. I think of the beauty of spring and the hope of health and vitality...and maybe one day, some dandelion wine, but until then, enjoy this recipe using dandelion greens. The greens are boiled so it's not too bitter and it's stuffed in a "steak" with prosciutto and provolone. In fact, you could even do only half of the recipe and enjoy the creamed dandelion greens as an amazingly good side dish.

Don't forget to save the water you boil your greens in. Drink it like a tea and enjoy.

STEP ONE

Prepare Your Greens

This can be done ahead of time, earlier in the day, the night before, etc...

The water that your greens are boiled in becomes dandelion tea. It is one of the healthiest teas (in my own humble opinion) that you can drink. It can be used to detox or just enjoy a few cups warm or cold. Be forewarned...it's very bitter. I infused some blueberries, lemon juice and honey to make mine more palatable. Dandelion is a diuretic, as well, so be aware, this tea makes you pee.

Boiling the dandelion greens takes out some of the bitterness giving it a more mild taste for those who don't particularly like bitter food. Plus, you get a bonus tea to drink!

One pound Dandelion Greens

Trim off the bottom stems and roots of your dandelions. Wash both thoroughly.

Place roots and leaves in a large stockpot with a little over 2 quarts of water.

Boil 5-10 minutes. Pull the greens out of water and place in a colander. Discard roots.

Dandelion shrinks similar to spinach.

STEP TWO

Cream the Dandelion

If you are making only the creamed dandelion as a side dish and not the actual braciole, double the amount of dandelion you prepare above. By doubling the amount to 2 lbs of greens, your side dish will serve 4.

Your dandelion from step one, chopped

1 Tbsp Butter

1/2 onion, sliced thin and chopped

2 Garlic Cloves. minced

3 or 4 Sun dried Tomatoes

1/4-1/2 Cup Heavy Cream

1/4-1/2 Cup Half and Half

1/2 Cup Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Melt butter over medium heat.
Cook onion until softened, about 5 minutes.

Add Garlic and sauté for a minute, being careful not to let it brown.
Add Sun dried tomatoes and dandelion.
Heat through.
Season lightly with a little salt and pepper.
Add 1/4 each of the heavy cream and half and half. You want enough cream to just cover your greens.
Add more of your creams if you are using as a side dish. Let thicken.
If using as a filling for the Braciole, use a lesser amount. We want our filling very thick.
Remove from heat and add Parmesan.