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Each year I refrain a little more from mowing down the lush grass with dandelions. The bees love and need them, too.

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The dandelion greens growing in my own yard are more bitter than the ones that they sell in my grocery store. I wonder if that means that they are healthier. I'm glad that you reminded me about picking them wild. We don't use pesticides, so we're all set.

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I'm a big forager myself. One thing I try to do is to gather foods from places that haven't been sprayed with pesticides. I'm not sure how you would know that about city property, but it seems likely to me that it was.

And how lucky for you to have a friend who brings you wild mushrooms.

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I'm double lucky--she even dries them for me!

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I loved this, Pat, especially because I'm about to finish a piece about foraging in various Mediterranean countries where I've lived. Happy to see the tradition lives on. My own mother, national origin totally Anglo-Saxon-Maine, always foraged for dandelions and served them in a similar fashion but insisted they had to be cooked. Iron was what they gave us, after the winter blahs.

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They're multi-talented little buggers

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And you pick them early? I'm going to ask my foraging friend. Maybe sprinkle a pinch of sugar to the salad? I always think the one's from the park are a little sketchy with all the wildlife around. Plus the rat posioning pellets. Lots of those.

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That's so cool! I wish I knew more about foraging to feel comfortable doing it. I swear i feel better after a dandelion salad. And seaweed. My grandmom aslways took a bucket home with us when we went to the seashore. Lots and lots of good stuff in that.

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