Springtime Powerhouse

The message is a timely one...eat locally for health and for the planet. But are you perhaps, overlooking one of the easiest to find, most nutritious, and cheapest vegetables available?

The Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is a highly nutritious and versatile wild food that has been harvested through the ages, dating back to a time when the winter diet, heavy in fats and starches, sorely lacked the lush, seasonal greens that we can now buy at the grocery store all winter long. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, especially calcium, iron and potassium, high in protein, inulin (a polysaccharide that keeps the intestinal lining strong with probiotics and fiber) and pectin, a soluble fiber, both which help balance lipid levels. The Dandelion leaves are tastiest in early spring before the flowers appear. When adding them to salads, pick the youngest and most tender leaves before the stalk appears, and wash them in very cold water as they wilt quickly. Be sure to keep covered and chilled until you are ready to use. Eat Dandelion greens as you would spinach, turnips or collard greens. Their bitter flavor is just what the herbalist ordered as the phytonutrients in the plant that render this potent flavor, are designed, courtesy of Mother Nature, to process and breakdown fats, starches and proteins and promote good bile production and flow-which means more digestive comfort and health for you! Eating them raw in salads or right out of the ground suits me just fine but if you'd prefer to cook them, be sure to saute the leaves until they are tender, then garnish with olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. Add to pasta if desired. If you like, save the broth as a tonic tea and drink for the next few days, depending on how much is left over to recharge your winter-weary digestive system and flush out fats and toxins.

When those dandy yellow flowers first appear, rejoice because they, too, can "sunny up" salads and stir-fried veggies. When collecting, always be sure to avoid plants that may have been sprayed with chemicals by those who have yet to discover that Dandelions are delectable. This might be a good time to cancel the chemical lawn care service and replace it with an organic service. (Just be sure the company you choose is reputable and actually is applying organic fertilizers on your lawn!)

So be the first on your block to preserve and consume the Dandelion, the botanical powerhouse of Springtime! You'll be glad you did!

Dear Friends,

In the garden named by our six year old daughter Lacia in 1997 after her first kitty, Lily, we strive to grow and maintain an ecologically balanced and diverse haven for our local flora and fauna by utilizing non-toxic practices both in the home and on the land.  In a world that seems to be getting smaller every day, this is a simple act of gratitude.  At Lily’s Garden Herbals, we strive to open these ‘avenues of gratitude’ to you to by creating safe, natural household products, offering whole plant extracts for the body and spirit and providing holistic health consultation and other services that nourish and heal us as individuals.  These practices in turn, can and do have a role in healing our planet.

I gather herbs from our land whenever possible to prepare aromatherapy oils, herbal tinctures, herbal teas, and salves. Organically grown herbs are used for these tinctures and herbal tea preparations whenever possible, or are ethically wildcrafted to maintain flourishing plant populations. Only high-quality essential oils are used in formulating Lily’s Garden Herbals non-toxic cleaning and household products.  (Please recycle containers.)

Please visit the Cottage in the Garden Monday through Friday. We do recommend that you do call first to be sure I am available and not with a client or making a delivery. 

We look forward to seeing you!

With green wishes,

Kim and the Lily's Garden Herbals Family

A portion of all profits is donated to environmental conservation and education.