Last weekend we got out onto the plot and did some serious work. Firstly, I dug the very last vegetable bed. I still need to create a decent path and shore up the raised bed with old floorboards. At least now we have five workable plots.
A by-product of the digging was the huge number of dandelion plants that I was able to remove, roots and all from the soil. I had such a pile that I thought I’d give a strange recipe a go: dandelion coffee. This was suggested to me by Andy Hamilton, who’s Booze for Free book is a must for all wanna-be brewers. This particular recipe is not alcoholic, sadly. Here's the method:
1. Gather your roots.
![](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/47/2018/09/P1020173-b9a99a9.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
2. Wash the roots and cut away the leaves. Watch out for dock roots
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3. Roast your roots in the oven until they are dark brown and dried out.
![](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/47/2018/09/P1020178-fa76cf4.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
Once they were brown and dry, I took them out and let them cool down. They had a rather appealing malty/ovaltiney smell.
4. Break the roots up with your fingers then grind them in the coffee grounder. To extract the 'coffee' I used a simple filter paper device as below. Using boiling water, obviously.
![](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/47/2018/09/P1020180-3fd7dc4.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)
The result was very pleasant – and, I have to disagree with Andy H – was very like mild coffee. A drop of milk and it made a lovely drink – plus it was good to know I’d put a tenacious weed to good use.
![](https://c02.purpledshub.com/uploads/sites/47/2018/09/P1020181_0-3fd7dc4.jpg?webp=1&w=1200)