Wild Self Care

We are on the brink of spring, (thank goodness), and one of herbalism’s most humble medicines is about to start its season to shine. The dandelion, beloved by herbalists and detested by gardeners is nature’s cheekiest weed. You’re sure to see it on the most carefully manicured lawn, and I’ve even seen one growing in cement subway steps. This weed that keeps on giving is impossible to escape, so we might as well settle in and be charmed by it, because right now is exactly the right time to be eating dandelions!

The energy of spring is about movement and change, and the flavors of the season according to Traditional Chinese Medicine & Western Herbalism are sour & bitter. Spring is naturally a time of detoxification , so if you’re interested to shed the sluggishness of winter and follow the earth’s direction of embracing seasonal change, then, eating foods that support digestive health is where to focus attention.

My original vision for the recipe was to create a gluten free muffin with dandelion greens and apples, but the truth is dandelion greens don’t want to be part of an apple muffin and the results were pretty unappealing. You’ll be glad to know that I spared you that creative experiment! There really is only one direction to take these bitter greens, and that’s to keep them savory. So, I decided to make a cracker and like ususal with my recipes, it’s very simple!

Dandelion Green Flax Crackers
Makes 4 narrow crackers
2 Tablespoons Golden Flax Seeds, (pre-soaked overnight & strained)
3 dehydrated beet chips or 1 1/2 Teaspoons of beet powder
1 Tablespoon sunflower seeds, (pre-soaked and dehydrated if you want to make them extra digestible)
Pinch of smoked or regular salt
3/4 Teaspoon nutritional yeast
3/4 Teaspoon mixed herbs. (I used Herbes de Provence)
1/2 Teaspoon dandelion root powder
1/2 Teaspoon whole cumin seeds, (I like the crunch of the whole seeds)
12 Blanched dandelion leaves

Method
If you have access to pesticide free dandelions then by all means gather your own, but otherwise, you’ll find dandelion leaves in the farmers market or an organic food shop. Give them a good rinse and steam the whole leaves over a pot of simmering water. I found this easiest to do with a dutch oven and an oven cooling rack laid on top, but a strainer over a saucepan would work too. Once they are wilted but still have color remove them from the heat. This should only take 2-3 minutes. Chop all the leaves across the stem into small pieces, except for 4 whole leaves; you will use these for decorating the top of the crackers before they go in the oven.

Powder the beet chips, sunflower seeds and mixed herbs in a designated coffee grinder. Add the powders, the whole cumin seeds & smoked salt to the strained flax seeds. Stir the gloopy mixture as best you can and then pour it into a baking paper lined dish to place in the oven. The mixture should be no thicker than a 1/4”. Delicately place the remaining 4 whole dandelion leaves on top of the flax mix, being mindful to unfurl any curled edges, (as it will look prettier). Place the dish in a a pre-heated oven at 300 degrees.

Bake for 40 minutes and then turn off the heat and allow the cracker to fully dry out and crisp before removing the dish from the oven. During the baking, I periodically took the whole cracker out of the oven so that I could lightly score a cut line in between each placed dandelion leaf. This made it easier when I was ready to cut the crackers up once they are cool. This also ensures that they crack apart where you want them to.

These homemade flax crackers are tasty, not bitter and you’ll be doing something good for your digestive system when you eat them! I decided to pair them with a a wilted dandelion and radicchio salad. I grilled some slices of delicata squash and then stirred them with some pre-dressed greens. The heat of the grilled squash wilted the greens. It all tasted quite lovely.

You can learn more about the medicinal benefits of dandelions in this article which I wrote in 2017. There’s even a couple of additional recipes too. If you’re interested to learn more about why spring is all about detoxification then, I’ll be teaching Spring Detox With Plant Medicine online on March 30th.

Happy Spring!