Fine & dandy

We've been a-weeding all weekend, working hard to make room for new winter beds. But it hasn't all been give and no take - we've been rewarded with lots of good things to harvest from the soil. There have been delicious grass-grubs for the chooks to gorge on and for those of us without feathers, heaps and heaps of dandelion. Dandelion (from the French Dente-de-Leon, or lion's teeth) is such a fantastic plant. Its jaggedy leaves are good in salads and all other places you might like a fresh green, but its roots are very edible too and make a delicious "coffee". Of course calling a it a coffee substitute does no justice to the delicious sweet-and-earthy taste of a roasted dandelion root, so I prefer to think of it as a special evening-time beverage that can stand up on its own. And with the time it takes to prepare it actually was evening by the time we were supping on the stuff! But if you've got some dandy-roots and time spare, here's how you do it:

Step one: Identify your dandelions and dig them up. Dandelion is very often confused with cat's ear - a very similar looking plant which is also edible, so its not too much of a hoo-ha if you get them confused. Where dandelion has jaggedy leaves (lion's teeth remember), cat's ear has softer curved leaves with a pleasant furry feel. The flowers of both are almost identical, but dandelion's come up on a hollow russet coloured stem, while cat's ear flowers are on a thin, not-hollow, green one.

Step two: scrub off dandelion roots with a scourer as best you can. You won't get all the dirt off - just think of it as adding to the flavour!

Step three: Slice roots thinly and place on a baking sheet. Put them in the oven for 60 minutes on 50 degrees with the fan on, or in a dehydrator of your choice (the sun is a good one) until they start to pucker up.

Step four: Roast on 200 degrees for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.

Step five: Grind roots in a coffee/grain mill - the aim is not for a powder, but for a fine chunky meal, about the consistency of cous cous.

Step six: Re-roast roots for 5 minutes in a hot oven.

Step seven: Place 1.5 dessert spoons of roasted root mixture with 2 cups of water and bring to a simmer. Turn down the heat and cook for another 5 minutes. Strain and serve. This stuff is so good it even gets a little golden 'crema' on top, just like espresso coffee! A little honey accentuates the natural sweetness of dandelion root, and you can also add milk to taste.

Enjoy!