Le Pissenlit

[Dandelion Greens]

During the Christmas season, I spent an entire week in Southern France, the land known for its rich local produce. One of the things I tasted was a simple salad made with Pissenlit. This leafy vegetable literally means "piss in bed" in French, aluding to the duretic effects of this herb.

Known as dandelion greens in the States, the young tender shoots are cultivated in winter to make simple salads. While later in early spring, the mature leaves are cooked. Dandelion derives from another name of the plant in Old French which means lion's tooth: Dent-de-lion. In France it is common for people who live in the country to gather them in the wild.

Pissenlit has long been prized for its medicinal benefits that includes eliminating excess body fluids, reducing blood pressure, and dissolving gall stones. Due to its many wondrous benefits, people have used the herb in wine-making and beer-brewing. I was told while plunging into a bedful of the slightly bitter herbs tossed with a mustard dressing that the leaves are high in vitamin A, vitamin C and a good doseful of iron, more than found in spinach. If you come across these leafy goodness in your local markets, eat them up to your health!

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Easy Mustard Dressing
2 parts extra virgin olive oil
1 part (whole grain) Dijon mustard
1 part balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste



This is my first participation in Weekend Herb Blogging hosted by Kalyn's Kitchen.