Puntarelle
New in the US, this is an old Italian heirloom. Puntarelle is an Italian dandelion, selected for the number and size of its hollow flowering shoots. Plants are sown in late summer, and by fall they make a sort of head or bulb, like fennel or celery. Picked when they are young and tender, they may be eaten raw or cooked. A traditional and popular winter salad in Rome and its environs is made of these shoots, quartered and soaked in water to make the flavor milder and make them curl. The traditional dressing is oil and vinegar with plenty of garlic and anchovy. In southern Italy, these shoots are most often braised, or boiled and then thrown into the pan after the meat is cooked. If you like the mildly bitter flavor of these Italian winter vegetables, you will delight in this one, which adds crunchiness to the usual virtues. Like all of the dandelion family, it is really good for the liver and a great spring tonic. 100 seeds