Dinner: Dandelion Pasta (From the Yard)

Some recipes are just so fun and exciting. This was one of those. You guys know I usually have a food revelation every three to six months. Well, I've been eating versions of creamy black bean salsa for a YEAR at least. It was time. I learned from this recipe that cooking bitter greens for even just a few seconds -- collards, chard, kale, dandelion -- takes the bitter taste out fast, and so this really opened up my green palette for fun cooking.

Also, DANDELIONS! I know, right?! I picked the greens for this recipe from the front yard! Free and yummy! This meal might have cost $7 (if you count the whole box of butter -- I used a tablespoon of it -- and the jar of sauce for the kids.)

I picked my greens in the bitter season. They are best picked before the flowers blossom. But you can boil the greens for a few minutes to cut out the bitter. But I was still scared,  so I added garlic and pepper to cover up the bitter in case the recipe flopped. I don't think it would have, but, wow, the garlic and Cayenne changed my life. So good.

The original recipe came from the Ultimate Dandelion Cookbook that I got as a free Amazon download this week. (It was a new release special, and it is not free anymore.) I would have paid for this book. Really happy with it.

The full recipe is coming. I have to download it or copy it from the book because it did not let me cut and paste. 

But basically: 

1 1/4 uncooked dandelion greens
1 egg
1 to 2 cups of flour
(3/4 T garlic and 1/4 t. Cayenne pepper)

Boil or sauté the greens.

Drain and then cool the greens with cold water.

Blend (in the Blender) the greens with the egg and flavors.

Pour in a bowl with the flour and form a firm (not so sticky) ball. Start with 1 and 1/4 c. flour and add more if the ball is sticky or soft.

Roll out the dough as thin as possible.

Let it sit for 20 min.

Roll it into a loose log.

Cut the roll in 1/4 pieces and unroll each piece.

Add the uncooked noodles to boiling water and boil for 7 minutes.

Drain and serve and change your life forever.