Debra LaValley's Blog

Dandelion Greens

My Nana used to make dandelion greens.  She and Aunt Cookie would drive over the Sewall’s Falls bridge to Mountain Road and pick dandelions in the fields along the “bull barns.”  I remember the bull barns vividly with the bulls looking out toward the road.  The building was sold many years ago and became a college (Franklin Pierce’s modest beginnings?) and  then the building was sold again to a church.  I believe it still houses a church community.

My mom said that Nana’s and Aunt Cookie’s hands would be all sticky and dirty as they cleaned the greens.  Nana would soak them and rinse them over and over to get them clean.  Nana would cook the greens in oil and garlic and sometimes toss in some white beans.

The process was a lot of work – but the end result were tasty.  I wonder if anyone cooks dandelion greens today?