It’s mid April in Appalachia. The leaves are not out on the trees. But the forest floor and fields are bursting with spring. I’m so jazzed each day with the free food options all around.
I used to go foraging as a teenager back in Central Virginia. Living on a wooded farm nestled against the Southwest Mountains, I had acres and acres to roam, just me and the family Saint Bernard, Beau. I would sit under trees surrounded by things I’d picked, a flower book and Euell Gibbons’ Stalking the Wild Asparagus trying to figure out what was what and what I could eat. Then I would go home and try to cook something from what I collected. I distinctly remember burning up one of Mom’s pans trying to boil greens. I guess I haven’t changed much in the last 50 years in the foraging department. But I am a much better cook.
I hid about a pound of free, fresh picked dandelion greens in this chicken casserole for two (it could serve 4 with side dishes). This is comfort food for sure. It reminded me of Mom’s cooking with Campbell’s mushroom soup back in the day. The veggies are muted by the chicken and white sauce. Like a smoothie tricks kids into eating fruits and vegetables; if I hadn’t cooked this I wouldn’t guess we were eating so many greens.
This is the recipe I used from Epicurious. It’s actually from Bon Appetit May 2009. I doubled the chicken and substituted half and half for the cream and added 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese to the breadcrumb topping.
You can eat that? 