They're both popping up to brighten the new growth of spring, in the fields, on roadside banks and, if we're lucky, in our gardens. The delicate VIOLET, deep purple, pale mauve or white, is helpful for coughs and bronchitis. It can also soothe nerves, headaches and insomnia and act as a mild laxative. Take fresh or dried flowers or dried leaves in an infusion.
As a culinary decoration, sprinkle a few bright flowers on a salad.
DANDELIONS have medicinal properties too. For hypertension - try an infusion of fresh young leaves three times a day. It's also a good diuretic because it contains potassium (usually lost in diuretic action) - make a decoction of a tablespoonful of root in a cup of water and drink three times a day, root decoction can also alleviate rheumatoid arthritis when mixed with celery seed.
Here's a fun idea: Choose some closed dandelion flowers and open them in a pan with some butter. Add two beaten eggs with a tablespoonful of crême fraîche, salt and pepper and cook until set as desired. Voilà - omelette aux pissenlits!
Avoid picking either flower from the roadside - exhaust fumes, and if there's only a tiny patch of violets, then I would leave them in their natural setting. Where we are, they're profuse so I don't feel bad about picking a few.
For how to make infusions and decoctions check out this site.
A few violets in a tissane sounds delicious.
ReplyDeleteThere is an article about le pissenlit in the current issue of Couleur's d'Ici including another omelette recipe, this one using the root...
Sauté finely chopped dandelion root with some onion and garlic, in olive oil. When softened, add a few dandelion leaves and allow them to wilt. Season to taste adding wild thyme, then pour an egg and cheese mixture into the pan. Serve slighly runny inside.