‘Scaping To The Garden Or, No denying, I’m cooking Dandelion!

When I was a boy, I lived in a small house with a small front yard hidden under a large oak tree.  One year, my mother decided to become an urban farmer and planted corn seed in the dark, brown soil that revealed itself from under the weeds she asked me to pull.

Within a few months, the corn began to grow.  At first, only mere golden green shoots appeared.  Then, soon, with her quiet nurturing, those shoots became tall stalks, twice as tall as I, with multiple ears waiting to be harvested.

Many years have passed.  That house with its small yard and large tree is gone.  I now live in a concrete tower in a green corner of the Bronx.  I feel my mom’s spirit connecting with our gracious neighbors, Terence and Raven, who lead my wife and me to the Norwood CSA.  I enter the garden, the farm really, and walk carefully among the rows of nascent plenty sprouting happily in their earthen beds.  I smell the sweet soil and wash my hands in the sand of fresh-picked greens.

Somewhere, my mother is smiling.

So now, what to do with this week’s bounty?

Here’s tonight’s menu:

Pasta, garlic scapes, tarassaco (dandelion greens) and olio (olive oil)

Ingredients-
• One half cup (or more, if you like) of scapes cut into quarter-inch rounds.
• One cup washed tarassaco bent, folded, chopped, or any darn way you want them.  I clipped the tips and kept them whole.
• 2-3 Tbs. of EVOO (don’t go by me, I tend to be a bit heavy-handed with my olive oil measurements).

Process-
• Fill a pasta pot with 4-5 quarts and bring to a boil
• Place scapes and EVOO into a frying pan over medium heat
• I like to salt and pepper the oil at this point and stir it around.  I also add some pepperoncini (red pepper flakes) now as well.  I like my food spicy.
• After 2-3 minutes of sautéing, add the tarassaco and stir or flip constantly.  I have these cool tongs that work really well for this.  You want to get the greens coated with the oil and mixed with the scapes. Unlike spinach, the tarassaco does not wilt under heat so go ahead and use as much as you want.
• Once the pasta is done to your preferences (I’m strictly al dente) drain and toss into the pan with the greens.  Toss and turn and mix thoroughly.
• Get your plates and serve.  Top with grated cheese (my go-to is Locatelli Pecorino Romano).
• Rip a chunk of hard, crusty bread and be sure to pour yourself a glass of wine.  For me, tonight, it’s a 2016 Dolcetto D’Alba.  

Enjoy!  Buon Appetito!

Written by John LoSasso