# 23 A Tasty Weed

Finding a meal in a field used to be common. Years ago many people in this country had just come from Europe. They brought old customs with them. And they knew their plants. Often you would seeing people cutting in a field. They had a bag in one hand. They had a knife in the other. What were they doing? Maybe this will surprise you. They were cutting dandelions.

The dandelion is one of the most maligned of weeds. It is really a living supermarket. The leaves of the young plant are delicious in salads. The leaves can also be cooked. With beans they make a hearty meal.

Dandelion wine can also be made. The blossoms must be picked in the daylight. Here is why. The blossoms close at night. They do not open until the sun comes up.

All parts of the plant can be used. Roots and leaves are used in medicines. Sometimes the juice is squeezed out. Other times the dry root is ground into powder. There is enough root to do it both ways. The root often grows more than three feet long. It grows best in soft, rich, sandy soil.

There is also a way to play with dandelions. When ripe, the blossoms form a soft white head. At the bottom of each white strand clings a tiny seed. Children pick the flower. They hold it by the stem. Then they blow hard at the white head. The soft white strands float off. They are carried by the wind into the world.

The dandelion was brought here from Europe. The early colonists brought it. They knew they would find a use for it here.

# 23 一種美味的雜草

過去在田野裡找一餐飯很常見。多年前，這個國家的許多人剛從歐洲來。他們帶來了古老的習俗。而且他們認識他們的植物。你經常會看到人們在田野裡割東西。他們一隻手拿著袋子。另一隻手拿著刀。他們在做什麼？也許這會讓你驚訝。他們在採摘蒲公英。

蒲公英是最受詆毀的雜草之一。它其實是一個活生生的超市。嫩植物的葉子在沙拉中很美味。葉子也可以烹煮。與豆類一起，它們可以做成豐盛的一餐。

也可以製作蒲公英酒。花朵必須在白天採摘。原因如下。花朵在夜間閉合。直到太陽升起才會開放。

植物的所有部分都可以利用。根和葉用於醫藥。有時擠出汁液。其他時候將乾根磨成粉末。有足夠的根可以兩種方法都做。根通常長到三英尺以上。它在鬆軟、肥沃的沙質土壤中生長得最好。

還有一種玩蒲公英的方法。成熟時，花朵形成一個柔軟的白色絨球。在每根白色絨毛的底部附著一粒微小的種子。孩子們摘下花朵。他們握住花梗。然後他們用力吹向白色絨球。柔軟的白色絨毛飄散開來。它們被風帶到世界各地。

蒲公英是從歐洲帶到這裡的。早期的殖民者帶來了它。他們知道在這裡會找到它的用處。