Dandelion cheddar pecan pesto

[sapote]

About 2/3 cup washed, blanched, squeezed dandelion (yes, this was from my yard, but I managed to get some thistle leaves in there and had to sort it all out by leaf shape in my sink, so know that they carry cultivated dandelion green at whole foods etc.)
About 1/2 cup pecans
About 2-3 oz very sharp cheddar
1 clove garlic, pricked and microwaved in its peel for 25 seconds if you don't like raw garlic.
2 tsp frozen basil / 6-7 leave fresh basil.
splash of lemon juice
pinch of sea salt

Put all the above in food processor, whirl until pesto consistency.

I was out of vegetables but had a lot of dandelions in my yard, so I made this, and it was recommended that I repost here! Hello, omnomnom!

(By the way, I saw this official recipe after I wrote up the above - I really like the cheddar and pecans in mine, but this is a more traditional take. I personally do recommend blanching foraged dandelions, as they're often really bitter.)

Note: prep time includes blanching the dandelion greens.

Comments

[leek]

This looks amazing! I remember a lot of spring days spent picking dandelion greens with my grandpa, and then sauteeing them or turning them into wine.

[foxfirefey]

I knew dandelions were edible but this is the first recipe I've seen that uses them! Exciting!

[acelightning]

Basically, anything you can do with spinach or kale or dark-green-leafies in that range, you can do with dandelions. You can use them raw, as the basis for a salad, or you can stir-fry them quickly and serve as a hot veg. Like all dark green things, they're supposed to be ferociously Good For You. And when I had pet rabbits, they adored nice fresh dandelions greens - one of them would actively pick through her bowl and eat the coarse, hairy dandelion leaves, while tossing out the expensive baby spinach.