So I woke up on Friday morning to a terrifying realization: I am moving out of the country in six weeks. I still have to call the shipping company! Visit Rila Monastery! Have a goodbye party at the school! Make Tunisia hotel reservations! LEAVE BULGARIA! I’m about to enter a few scary, probably unemployed months in the U.S. and while there are things I will be happy to see/do/eat again, I am dreading a bit the return to the Real World, where my employment will not be based on contract, health care is a nightmare, and I have to find housing all on my own omigod. Time to clear my head, time to take a walk.
I went up for a wander in the hills around the village and took a little bag with me to collect dandelion heads so I could make dandelion syrup, a recipe I saw on FX Cuisine that looked really interesting. And cheap. (Have to start cutting back - I’ll be paying insurance premiums soon! And rent! And…) Apparently this is an old old recipe, and I admit I feel rather foolish for not having thought of it before. You can put anything in a simple syrup - why not dandelion flowers? So I collected a few handfuls, steeped them overnight, and now I’m drinking a beautiful sweet flowery ade that I only wish I had known of sooner. And am maybe a little bit less stressed.
Dandelion Cordial
a few handfuls of dandelion heads
sugar
water
lemon juice
Remove green leaves from around flower heads - FX Cuisine suggested a knife for this, but I found it just as easy to twist them off. Put them in a pot over high heat, with water and sugar, in equal amounts, to cover by an inch or two. Bring to a boil, drop the heat down to low and simmer for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and let steep overnight. Add lemon juice (I’d say the juice of half a lemon should do for every two cups of water you used) and strain into a jar. To serve, fill a glass halfway with the syrup, then top it off with sparkling or still water.
I’ll also proudly mention that I’ve been tagged for another award - the Arte Y Pico, from Elle’s New England Kitchen. It says that folks who are tagged should pass on the tag, and I would love to, but I am reminded that many of the food blogs I read are the ones that are already super popular and don’t much need the boost. So I’ll take it as a reminder that I need to pay more attention to blogs that don’t get 5000+ daily readers! Thank you, Elle.
6 responses so far ↓
Elle // May 12, 2008 at 4:44 pm
This looks amazing! I had no idea you could do that with dandelions, and we have hundreds out on the lawn right now, hehe. About your moving? It’ll be a big task, but I find that a list of daily or weekly goals, along with a main list, is very helpful in accomplishing things that seem overwhelming. Hang in there!
toontz // May 12, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I just mentioned yesterday that with the price of food around here that we will have to supplement our diet with dandelions, and Eureka! Here is my first recipe! I know my grandmother made dishes with dandelions, but all I could think of was dandelion wine
maybellesmom // May 12, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Wow, this is so cool; I might make this. (and thanks for visiting me.)
diva // May 12, 2008 at 9:03 pm
how interesting!! this is really clever.
Scott at Realepicurean // May 12, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Fantastic - wild food is just my thing. I’ve never tried real dandelions despite reading all about them (and how the young leaves are delicious in salads) and your recipe is about to change all that!
farida // May 13, 2008 at 6:52 am
Very interesting recipe. I am sure it has a nice aroma and flavor. I can smell it already:)
Good luck with your move! It’s a big task!