If you can’t lick ’em, eat ’em; if you can’t eat ’em, drink’ em

Press, 15 April 1978, Page 16

If you can’t lick ’em, eat ’em; if you can’t eat ’em, drink’ em

PETER NATTIACE,

of the Associated Press, reports from the

landelion capital of the world

They supped on dandelion cuisine, quaffed dandelion wine, and crowned this year's dandelion queen. In the dandelion capital of the world. Vineland. New Jersey, the first harvest of the lowly yellow weed is cause for celebration. “If you can’t beat ’em,

eat ’em — and if you can't eat ’em, drink ’em,” said Mayor Patrick Fiorilli.

More than 400 townsfolk in this rural town paid homage to the dandelion recently with unabashed fanfare.

They jammed a grammar school gvmnasium at $l2 each to feast on crisp dandelion salad, murky dandelion soup, fresh dandelion ravioli, tender veal tips with dandelion, dandelion gelatine, and dan-

delion wine — lots of dandelion wine. When the dandelion diners called for more libations, the chef, Lefty Keikos, cheerfully obliged. The enthusiasm led to ugly rumours that the wine had been spiked with cheap sauterne. The highlight of the evening was the crowning of 19-year-old Diana May Pitman as the new “Miss Dandelion.” This year’s contestants were tested on their dandelion knowledge. “I was raised on dandelions.” she said. “I remember when some of my neighbours were out throwing them away, and I was sitting in my kitchen eating them.” Jim Paster, a film-maker.

came from Chicago and is writing a book on dandelions. “It is a very interesting subject,” he said. "This is the only place where I don’t get ridiculted for saying that.”

Dandelions are a serious spring crop in the area, where 16 farmers sow the weed’s seeds in August and harvest dandelions as the ground thaws in March. Dandelions for salad greens are worth $40,000 a year to local farmers.

"Dandelions are gaining popularity in salads and as a coffee substitute in the United States,” Mr Paster explained. "Europeans use dandelions as a diuretic and the Russians cultivate millions of acres to make

synthetic rubber,” he said.

The fruit of the dandelion, however, is the wine. Mr Paster said that in the area, farmers carefully guarded their dandelion wine stock. But he managed to scrounge five gallons for home. “It was like taking someone”s false teeth,” he said.

Common lawn dandelions make good salads and a good alternative to weeding, local farmers say. But they say it is too late when dandelions flower and fuzz — the old weeds are bitter. “You should not eat your dandelions if you put fertilisers or weed killers on your lawn. And, of course, you should worry about the neighbour’s dog, too,” said Mayor Fiorilli.