Dandelion Green Pesto

Spring is here and I am very fortunate to live 10 minutes away from my local Portland farmer's market. I braved pouring rain this morning and walked to the market to see what seasonal produce I could find. I ended up getting eggs, potatoes, mustard greens, cauliflower, garlic, shallots, apples, asparagus (which is amazing right now) and delicious dandelion greens!

I find raw dandelion greens have a great flavor, but they can be too strong for some people.They are wonderful sautéed in some olive oil and garlic, but it doesn't get much better than making them into a pesto. This pesto can be eaten fresh or frozen for later use. Just let it sit out overnight in the fridge to defrost. 

So, not only are these greens delicious, but they are so good for you! Throughout my nutrition program I have learned many fun facts about dandelion greens, including they can aid the liver in detoxification. They are also full of vitamins and minerals, such as iron, potassium, zinc and vitamins A, B, C and D. They are also wonderful to consume in a salad before a meal to stimulate the digestive system. (Dandelion can interact with some medications; refer here for all the facts you need about dandelion: http://www.umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/herb/dandelion).

I hope you enjoy this recipe! I just boiled some potatoes and mixed the warm potatoes with this pesto for a fresh side dish (highly recommended).

Dandelion Green Pesto:

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch dandelion greens (about 8 cups), de-stemmed 
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1/2 cup sunflower seeds
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
• 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
• salt, to taste

Instructions:

1. Put the dandelion greens, garlic, lemon juice, sunflower seeds and parmesan into a food processor. Pulse until chopped.
2. With the food processor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil, scraping down the sides as needed. Use less or more oil depending on how thick you like your pesto. Season with salt to taste.
3. Serve this pesto on chicken, potatoes, fish or pizza!