Foraging for food on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

On Saturday Morning, I will be presenting the following recipes for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Nadia Kidwai.  I'll be using dandelions for which I foraged.  They are considered organic, as, I've never used cosmetic pesticides in my own yard.  They are thoroughly washed, however.  I've used them with Chinese greens (Gai Lan) in one dish, and as a Chimichuri on Wildfire Farms (see what I did there?) beef ribeye.

The reason that I went with wild and foraged flavours is because A Rocha will be holding a guided tour of Winnipeg's West End on Saturday, June 2nd from 2-3:30PM to find edible plants just waiting to be discovered and eaten.  They will meet at St. Matthew's Anglican Church at 641 St. Matthews Ave.  To RSVP, please send an email to scott.gerbrandt@arocha.ca.   Dress for the weather.

Dandelions are loaded with Vitamins A and C as well as being a great source of dietary fibre.  More photos tomorrow!

Dandelions!

Dandelions with almonds and Scallions

1 large bunch dandelion greens or a combination of greens(a few cups) (I have a variety of greens available today from Fertile Farms at St.Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

3 tbs olive oil

3-6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

½ cup blanched almonds, toasted

salt, to taste

Bring to boil a large pot of water.  Drop greens in and blanch, stirring for 30 seconds to 1 minute, then drain in a colander and rinse with cool water.  Drain and press out on a towel.

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.  Add garlic, then scallions, stirring until brown.  This happens quite quickly so have the greens ready and cook for 1-3 minutes.  Add almonds and season.  I like to add some dried red chilies. 

Sichuan variation:  Prepare the greens, with Chinese broccoli, and leave long.  Heat sesame oil with chilies and garlic.  Add greens and season with soy sauce.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.  Can also add tofu to this dish.  A pinch of sugar may be to your tastes as well.

Grilled Ribeye with Dandelion Chimichuri

Good for 4 Ribeye steaks (These are from Wildfire Farms and available at St. Norbert’s Farmer’s Market)

1/4 pound dandelion greens

2 large garlic cloves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon salt, plus more for seasoning Ribeye Steaks

2 packed tablespoons chopped oregano

1 tablespoon lime juice or white vinegar

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil, divided

Freshly ground pepper

Trim the greens up to where the leaves start and wash well, picking out any remaining buds or grass you might find. Set aside.

Process the garlic, red pepper flakes, and salt together in the work bowl of a food

processor until finely chopped. Add the dandelion greens and the oregano, and pulse until the greens are finely chopped, scraping the sides with a soft spatula if necessary. Add the lime juice and 1/4 cup of the olive oil and pulse to blend. Season the mixture to taste with additional salt and pepper, if necessary, and transfer to a small bowl. Drizzle 1 tbs olive oil over the top and set aside.

Rub the remaining two tsp olive oil over the Ribeye and season with salt and pepper.

When the grill is hot, cook the steak to the desired doneness.  I like rare but I made these 4 minutes per side, changing to make grill marks, every two minutes.

Let the meat rest on a cutting board for a few minutes.  Slice hot and spoon the chimichuri sauce on top.

Enjoy!