Dandelion Salad with Caramelized Onion

Dandelions were one of the most annoying weeds that grew in my backyard in Poland. As a child I enjoyed playing with them when they were blooming, but did not know then that they could be eaten.

Later, while living in Geneva and shopping in French food markets, I often saw bunches of dandelions especially in early spring displayed in the fresh vegetables section. French recipes for dandelions were all kind of salads in which dandelion was served raw. Although I love all greens, dandelion seemed too hard and too bitter to enjoy it raw. I knew however that dandelion was extremely nutritious, rich in vitamins A, C, and K, as well as iron and calcium and worth including in a healthy diet.

Here, in the US, dandelions are available in Whole Foods and Asian food markets. And recently, thanks to my newly discovered interest in the Lebanese cuisine, I found my way to make something interesting with dandelion.

I have not seen dandelion on a menu of any Lebanese restaurant in my area but I read about a dandelion dish in a traditional Lebanese cookbook. Then my Lebanese friend explained to me the secret of a dandelion dish. When I made it I became a big fan of that curious green. It is a cooked dish but it is served cold like a salad. Dandelion is cooked or rather steamed to preserve his nice tenderness. There is also something very intriguing in the taste of this dish, which is at the same time sour, bitter, and slightly sweet thanks to the onion, which made it one of my favorite lunch dishes in recent months.

This dish is to be served alone with pita bread but I think it could also be a nice accompaniment to grilled or roasted meat, preferably lamb.



Dandelion Salad with Caramelized Onion
(Serves four)

Ingredients:
4 bunches of dandelions,
4 medium onions peeled, cut in halves and sliced,
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil,
juice from 2 lemons and one more lemon for decoration,
salt and pepper to finish.

Preparation:
1. Wash and chop dandelion leaves into half-inch long pieces. Put them in a heavy duty pot and steam until water evaporates and dandelion becomes dark green.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy duty frying pan and add sliced onion. Fry on a medium heat stirring frequently. It will take about 10 minutes until onion is caramelized.



3. Drain about a half of the onions from the frying pan and set aside.
4. Add the dandelion to the remaining oil. Pour in about 1/3 cup lemon juice, season with salt and cook for about 5 minutes, until dandelion becomes tender but still dark green.



5. Transfer dandelion to a serving dish and decorate with caramelized onion. Let it cool.
6. Decorate with lemon wedges before serving. Serve with pita bread.

Lemon Rice--Easy Dish from Italy

A couple of months ago in my local public library I bought for one dollar a second-hand book about Italian cuisine. It was published in 1968. I got it, out of curiosity, hoping for an original recipe.

I liked this book very much. It gives a overview of the Italian cuisine by regions. The recipes are very traditional and typical of the areas they come from. I also love the old pictures of people, places, and dishes that bring back the atmosphere of Italy in the 1960s.

Browsing through the book I found a recipe for lemon rice that looked interesting and I made it already on the following day. The dish comes from Piedmont and could not be simpler and more delicious. It is similar to risotto but does not require so much stirring. It instantly became my kids' favorite. I alternate it with a classic risotto which I make almost every week.

As I have been cooking this dish often I made already a few changes to the simplest recipe. I substituted one egg with cream which made this dish less eggy in taste and more creamy. I also add fresh parsley and, recently, also fresh herbs available from my garden--chives, marjoram, oregano, or thyme.



Lemon Rice
(Serves four)

Ingredients:
1 cup short grain rice, preferably, risotto type,
2 tbsp unsalted butter,
2 large eggs,
1/4 cup table cream,
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese,
4 tsp lemon juice,
1 tbsp parsley,
1 tbsp mixed fresh herbs of your choice,
black pepper to taste.

Preparation:
1. In a large pot, bring to boil about 6 cups of water with 1 tbsp of salt.
2. When water boils add rice. Do it slowly, so that water still boils. Stir, reduce the heat, and let boil for about 15 minutes, until rice is tender.
3. In a medium bowl beat eggs with cream, and, when they are well combined, add lemon juice, Parmesan and herbs, if used.



4. In a large heavy duty pot, melt the butter over a low heat. When rice is ready drain it and add immediately to the pot with butter. Mix well.
5. Pour in eggs mixture to the rice. Stir and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes, stirring gently. When rice is creamy serve immediately, season with freshly ground black pepper, and serve accompanied by green salad.

Goat Cheese and Herbs Tart

My new double oven works perfectly and even though lately I have been very busy with my life I have no more excuses not to bake. Therefore, today, I am putting out something straight from the oven, and my favorite kind of dish--a tart.

I made it already a couple of times for lunch with friends and have been asked to share the recipe. I think this tart is a perfect spring dish--light and very aromatic thanks to herbs.

Many of my herbs did not survive the harsh winter we had but those that did and a new I planted last week are already big enough to be picked up. Any kind of herbs can be used for that tart but my favorite ones are chives, lemon thyme, and Greek oregano, all of which combine nicely with the cheese filling.

As always, I made my own crust for this tart and it makes a huge quality difference so I would not use any store bought dough. Pastry dough is very easy. It can be made in no time, a couple of days ahead in a food processor or by hand and baked just before serving.

With a light salad and a glass of wine there is nothing better for a Sunday lunch than this tart.



Goat Cheese and Herbs Tart

Ingredients:

For the pastry:
1 and 1/4 cup all purpose flour,
6 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into cubes,
2 tbsp vegetable shortening,
a pinch of salt,
4 tbsp ice-cold water,

For the filling:
1 cup cottage cheese,
1 large log ( 10 oz) goat cheese,
3 egg yolks,
1/4 cup all purpose flour,
4 tbsp unsalted room temperature butter,
3 tbsp chopped chives, thyme and oregano.

Preparation:
1. To make a dough, in a bowl of a food processor mix flour, butter, shortening and salt. Mix together until large crumbs form. Add ice-cold water and pulse until a smooth dough forms. Flatten the dough into disk, wrap in a foil and let it chill in a refrigerator for at least one hour, or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 350F.
3. Roll the dough to a size of an 11'' tin and transfer it to a 10'' baking tart shell with removable walls. Bake it for about 15 minutes minutes until set but still pale gold.
4. To make a filling, in a food processor beat the cheeses, yolks, flour, and butter until smooth. Add chopped herbs.
5. Spread the filling on the pre-baked crust and bake for about 30 minutes until the top is set and the crust turns gold.