Dande'Met or a Lion's Teeth omelet

About this post: It is photo heavy, contains photos of raw eggs, and suggest the usage of a meat product. . the 22 photos are small for the post but you should be able to click on the photos to see a larger view. ( if i did things right)

a Dande'Met or an omelet with Lion's Teeth

No silly not teeth from an actual lion ....


The name Dande'Met comes from when my sister and I were kids. Dande is obvious ... dandelion. the 'met is how we use to say omelet. Yup, in our house a cheez'met was our way of saying cheese omelet for a long while.

The Lions Teeth Omelet name again refers to the dandelion's leaves. Taraxacum officinale -Dandelion - means "lion's teeth" which, when turned sideways, you can see how the leaves could look like the toothy smile of a lion.

I love having kids look to see if they can see the lion's teeth in a dandelion leaf and it's amazing how something so simple can hold thier imagination and memories for years . It makes me smile thinking of my own daughter and hot summer days when the dandelions have turned to puffballs ( another common/folk name) and her looking in the back yard for the leaves.

ahh, but I digress.


IF you want some really good info on the properties and health benefits of dandelion Check out Fae Kieran's blog Stories From A Witches Cabinet 3- 2010 Herb of the week: Dandelion article.



Some times it's fun to incorporate some of the old folk, Local lore, or geographic names into recipe names you create or are un-named family recipes. It's a wonderful way to teach them so they are not lost. Now, you could simply call this omelet a Dandelion Omelet, but what's the fun in that? Besides , you may have more luck tempting the kids to try it ....a, or not ... o.k. never mind.

Over the next few weeks as the dandelions are about right to harvest for the flavor wanted, I will post some other recipes to use them in .

They will include but not be limited to the following subjects/titles:

An infusion ( or 2) for bouillabaisse , beverages of the brewed type, a Bundt Cake, teas, a quick bread, salads, meat dishes, a green butter , Priest's Crown Noodles - an ol' hand rolled pasta, ( Priest's Crown is another common/folk name for Dandelion), and more all with the common ingredient , dandelion . Now i don't proclaim to have alll the recipes , nor that there arn't better and worse out there... this is just my collections and i will tell you what i use and what I've not tried (yet).

now that you've been warned,

lets make this 'Met shall we?


Note: Some Heath food stores which carry fresh organic produce carry fresh - sometimes organic- dandelion greens. And when I can lay my hands on them I love to use free range chicken eggs, Gorgonzola-Goat (some prefer cow milk), ricotta, brie, and lots of other cheeses. But usually I just use what I have on hand that day.

let me give you a few notes about harvesting the dandelion and 2 other herb parts you will need for this recipe :

First ,the dandelion leaves:
Really you shouldn't need scissors to harvest dandelion greens tender and light enough for this recipe. At this stage they are still tender and you won't hurt the root, or even the bloom .

The mildest flavor will be found in the "bottom" leaves before it has set it's bloom. look again at the first photo in this post, the bloom has set but isn't open . at this point the flavor starts to pick up a bit and will continue to do so as the plant ages. Some pinch the first blooms back to make the roots larger and the tops fuller for the next harvest season . Others who grow them in the herb and vegetable garden leave the blooms to make dandelion wine.


grab hold of the leave and give them a gentle tug on the first sunny morning after a good rain ( or water the day before harvesting)







You'll want a good hand full ( about a dozen or so ) 3 to 5 inch stems with unblemished leaves.







Second, the Garlic chives


Normally I would tell you to harvest the longer fatter leaves of the garlic chive, but not for this recipe .







You want those tender young fleshy new spring shoots , about 3 or 4 (or more) that are about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in length . Thier flavor will be a bit brighter and not so over powering as the larger shoots.





Third,The Sage

The sage leaves you want for this dish are those little ones on the tips - not the larger ones. You'll want say 5 to 9 depending on how strong you like the flavor of sage in eggs. we us 5 or 6 .












Just "pluck it"
keep hold of them .. they arn't very big....





Ingredients: ( all herbs and greens should be fresh harvested if possible )
Serve 3 - 2 egg servings or 6 - 1 egg servings

Dandelion leaves - 12 to 15 - 3 to 5 inch stems of unblemished
Garlic chives - 3 or 4 greens (or more) that are about 2 1/2 to 3 inches in length
Chives- 7 to 10 greens 3 to 5 inches long ( the tender young greens)
Lemon Thyme- 3 to 7 4 to 5 inch stems
Greek Oregano- 2 leaf heavy stems about 3 to 4 inches long
Sage- 5 to 9 tip leaves
Sweet Basil- 1 large leaf or 1/2 teaspoon dried
Cumin-1/4 teaspoon ground
Saffron- scant pinch
your best 6 egg omelet batter ( i will give you mine further down)
about 3 tablespoons chopped sweet red bell pepper
1 large strip bacon, cooked and chunky- ground in the food processor , or broken up

Washing the greens and herbs .


You will want to wash the dandelion greens and the herbs before you use them.

Do this as you would leeks. But on a smaller scale.

Soak them in a bowl of good COLD water with 3 teaspoons lemon juice added to it . "Swish" them about gently in this water with your fingers to help loosen any dirt that will be stuck to the leaves.


you'll see it in the bottom of the bowl. ( sorry the photo is dark, I forgot to change my settings again )







Remove the herbs and greens from the water ( don't forget those tiny little sage leaves)
and place them on a clean white towel or paper towel to drain. use this time to pick out any blemished leaves or such you may have missed.







Roll the herbs and greens up in the towel and set aside till you are ready for them.





When you have all your ingredients assembled, Begin by prepping the dandelion greens. This is another opportunity to remove any damaged leaves.
For this recipe you only want the leaves not the heavy stem in the center. This can be hard on some one with digestive problems... think celery strings .



The leaves are easily pulled from the stem centers with your fingers or
you can use the point of a sharp knife and slice the leaves of each side.. I
use my fingers.






Place the dandelion leaves in one pile.
Remove the thyme leaves from the stems and start another "herb pile".
Remove the oregano leaves from the stems and give them a ruff chop.
Give both the chives a ruff chop.
If using fresh basil ,chop it or tear it to small pieces that fit uniformly with the size of the other herbs .
To the "herb pile" add the saffron, cumin and any other dry herbs .

Now prep your best omelet recipe.

I use the 6 eggs, about 3 to 4 tablespoons sour cream and about 1/2 to 3/4 cup of heavy cream. ( the measurements are approximate, because I eyeball this part)

Whip the egg mixture well.

whisk in the Herb mix. Then ruff chop about 2/3rds of the dandelion greens and whisk those in .

add fresh cracked black pepper (amount of which is to your usual liking)

whisk this all together well.



In a non stick skillet sprayed with either canola , grape or extra virgin olive oil that has been brought just to smoking over medium heat, pour your omelet batter.

sprinkle in the chopped sweet red pepper and prep as you would normally for an omelet.





Then sprinkle the bacon pieces over the top of the omelet.

wait a bit longer till the omelet is almost set and sprinkle with grated Parmesan cheese. ( fresh grated is best... I was out so I used grated in a jar today)



Now,I am not a fan of raw egg in the middle of my omelet so I flip them to finish them.. of course today, it broke ... at least it all landed in the pan..

You can do this easily enough by loosening the omelet from the pan and sliding it out cooked side down onto a large plate which you hold from the bottom, then turning the skillet over on top of the plated omelet and holding them together flip the whole thing over and place the omelet in the skillet back on the heat and remove the plate. If you don't want to flip your omelet, then skip this step and move on the to next.


Ruffly chop the remaining dandelion leaf and sprinkle over the top of the omelet.

Then top with your chosen cheeses..


If you want you can flip the omelet in half, western style not , instead of the rolled style . OR leave it open like a pie to cut into the desired portion sizes. ( we fold it )

This is awesome to serve for a champagne brunch .. and the mellowness of the flavors is perfect for some one who has never had dandelions and wants to try them for the first time.
using more of the herbs and spices or other ingredients can help to hid the flavor of the dandelion greens if some one wasnt to include them in thier diet with out "tasting them" , just as using less of the other herbs and spices will allow more of those wonderful greens to delight your taste buds...
MMMM so good



I wanted to post 2 dandelion recipes to night but bloger was being buggersome this evening .. sorry .. Hopefully tomarrow will be a better day for blogging..LOL

Happy tummy Blessings every one ..
Ma Fey
Oh, and if you haven't already, please Don't forget to enter my gaarooooovey giveaway!

Roasted Dandelion Root and Ma Fey's Mocha-Momma Coffee

One of my favorite early spring harvest is Dandelions ... Greens, roots and blossoms.

I love dandelions in my garden bed because they bring up nutrients from deep in the soil which are beneficial to many plants, it is so sad that people spend so much money to eradicate them from lawns.

Early Spring is the best time to harvest them as they are"sweeter," and late fall is also a good harvest time. But in summer leave them be as they are to bitter!!!!
The best way to harvest dandelion roots is with a pitchfork , just after a good rain, as they will be easier to dig in their entirety and this is when they are highest in nutrients as well as having smoother flavor .

To obtain your fresh roots , you have a couple of choices. You can just harvest them from the yard ( and the neighbors to if they will let you) --OR-- choose some dandelions to transplant to a chosen spot in the garden to keep them safe from pollution and pesticides, to harvest later this fall or early next spring.

One of my favorite year long treats is dandelion root coffee ground in Grandma Clara's ol' coffee grinder.
(Yes, I have another Grandmother Besides my Grama Grace..lol)

It will take about one 5-gallon bucket full of roots to make 3 or 4 quarts of roasted Dandelion Root . This will yield approximately 10 gallons of coffee




But for your first time you can start a bit smaller

you will need :

20 or more fair to good sized root, with the greens snapped ( or cut off)

good sharp knife and/or a food processor

the oven warmed to 350 degrees F.

a cool day with low to no humidity

plenty of cold water

strainer

glass bowl

cookie sheet

First wash the roots by hand till as clean as you possibly can get them .( a new soft bristled tooth brush can be quite helpful in this process)

Then cut them into approximately 1/4 to 1/2 inch lengths.

Put these in bowl cold water and with your clean hands agitate them a bit till the water becomes cloudy.

Drain them, and repeat this process till the water finally runs clear. ( may take several rinses till the water remains clear)

Strain and lay them in a single layer on top of a clean dish towel or White paper towels for at least an hour ( more is better)

Chop them into smaller pieces with your knife or process them in your food processor. BUT Don’t make them to small, remember that they will shrink down to about a quarter of their size when all the water is evaporated or dried out of them.

Spread these in a single layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.. or not lined.. DO NOT oil or grease or spray the cookie sheet.

Place the cookie sheet in the cooler part of your oven and reduce the heat to 200 degrees F.

Roast these till they turn a dark brown ..

about the color of a coffee bean .

and have a snap crisper than a dry twig..

Let them cool,

then store in an air tight container.

To make 6 cups of coffee you can use one of a multitude of methods. No matter which method you use, you will want to add the same things to this coffee as you would any cup of coffee you plan to enjoy..

1 grind a 50/50 mix of coffee bean and dry roasted dandelion root together in the desired amount for your style coffee maker

OR

Place eight level teaspoons of dry roasted root per six ounces water in the grounds basket of your coffee maker and brew as your would for 6 cups of coffee (48 oz. of water ) .

OR

Place on teaspoon dried root in to a cup of good water and bring just till boiling. Remove from heat and steep 3 to 5 min or so then strain and prep as you would any coffee and enjoy.

Or Try this ( It's one of the best ways to have dandelion root coffee!)

Ma Fey's Mocha-Momma Coffee

this makes about 4 - 6ounce mugs

1 1/2 cups strong , hot , dandelion root coffee
4 teaspoons dark chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon cinnamon ( divided into 3/4 teaspoon and 1/4 teaspoon)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon organic sugar

1 heaping teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon hazelnut flavoring
1/2 cup fresh whipped cream

Put 1 teaspoon of the dark chocolate syrup into pedestal mugs ( or other style mug that is 6 ounces in volume - should be 4 mugs)

Fold 3/4 teaspoon of cinnamon, the nutmeg, and the sugars into whipped cream that is just to the soft peek stage.

Whip the cream a bit more until you have soft peaks once again, but not to long or it will turn to butter.

Place the last 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon and the flavoring or extract into coffee, and stir

Pour coffee into cups, stir till the chocolate syrup is completely incorporated.

Top with whipped cream mixture. Serve hot .

1st Harvest Blessings Every one!
Don't forget to enter my gaarooooovey giveaway
Ma Fey

Before my Corn Mother Dolly returns to the Garden,

I though I would share her with you .

( you can click on the photos for a better look)

She is a corn dolly, aka a representation of the Corn Mother, the Harvest Mother, The Corn Maiden, The Old Woman, The Old Grandmother, The Carline, among other names which the spirit of the corn ( grain or cereal) may be called.




Since coming to our home from the last harvest,
she has supervised many plantings for this spring's garden and on the final day of planting she was returned to the garden to watch the sun set and to be tilled into the first garden furrow of the new planting season.










She was made of corn husks and silk, wheat, dried fairy roses and bits of hydrangea blossoms. Her lovely face was that of an apple plucked strait from the tree, carved and then dried on to a dowel.








and tied with green garden jute at the waist













Later a dried Pink Pearl Apple slice was added because it looked so pretty on her.


Though she returns to her garden home this spring, she will return to our home in August/September when the last grains are harvested. Her face will be a bit different. Her dress and ornamentation will be new . But her spirit will be the same.


till then
here's wishing you a bountiful gardening season .
Ma Fey
and
The Spirit of The Corn Mother Dolly


Don't forget to enter Ma Fey's Groovey Giveaway