Dandelions can be cooked in the same manner as chicory and spinach.
=Dandelion Greens.=--Boil until tender in salted water. Drain, chop and
season with salt, pepper, butter, and vinegar, or lemon juice.
=Dandelion Mixture.=--Wash the dandelion leaves thoroughly, and put in
salted water until tender, strain through a colander, pressing with a
weight to extract all the moisture. Put into a saucepan with a little
cream, the yolks of two eggs, salt and pepper as well as any other
seasoning of herbs desired. Heat through, spread the mixture on slices
of stale bread, and fry quickly in hot butter or dripping. Garnish with
chopped hard-boiled eggs. Season with oil, vinegar, salt, pepper, and
finely chopped parsley.
=Dandelion as a Vegetable.=--Cut off the outer leaves and wash well,
let them stand in cold water for an hour to crisp; drain and throw
into a saucepan of boiling water which has been salted, and simmer
for twenty minutes, or half an hour if full grown. Strain through a
colander to extract the liquor, then chop. Place a good tablespoonful
of butter in a stewpan, and when melted add a tablespoonful of flour.
Add the greens, toss a little with a wooden spoon, and season with
salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and moisten suitably with stock. Toss for
ten minutes longer. Add, if you like, a tablespoonful of cream, sweet
or sour, and serve hot with a garnish of toast cut into points, or
croûtons. Other greens may be treated in the same way.