here is an old recipe for making coffe from dandelion roots.
     
     "I carefully washed the roots quite clean, with out depriving them of 
     the fine brown skin which covers them, which contains the aromatic 
     flavour which so nearly resembles coffee that it is difficult to 
     distinguish it while roasting.
        I cut my roots into small pieces, the size of a kidney bean, and 
     roasted them on an iron baking pan in the stove oven, until they were 
     as brown and crisp as coffee.  I then ground and transferred a small 
     cupful of the powder to the coffee pot, pouring upon it scalding 
     water, and boiling it for a few minutes briskly over the fire.  The 
     result was beyond my expectations.  The coffee proved excellent- far 
     superior to the common coffee we procured at the stores."
     
     from:  Roughing it in the Bush, or Life in Canada" by Susanna Moodie, 
     1852
     
     has anyone out there ever tried this?  my questions are:
     
     when do you harvest the roots?
     how long do the roasted roots keep?
     what is in it ie. nutrionally?