A Facebook Request (Wilted Dandelion Salad)

We eat weeds at our house.  Really, I graze the back yard like a ruminant and grab up all sorts of tasty things.  There’s one weed that makes a nice tea to settle the stomach.  We just finished mulberry season and the blackberries are about to come in.  Oyster, puffball and bricktop mushrooms bloom after a rain.  The hops are for tea and beer.  The best thing we gather is dandelion.  It is probably the best reason not to take care of your lawn.  Richly flavored, a mix between arugula and watercress, dandelions eat well stewed with butter and white beans or raw, sliced thinly, topped with orange slices and walnuts, dressed with Balsamic vinaigrette.   

During the hot midsummer, dandelion is scarce, but I did find enough in the yard this morning for a lunch salad.  Try to pick the greens when they are still tender, about 6 inches long, when the flowers are bright, before the heads turn to seed.  After that, the greens toughen and are only good with long cooking.  To make our Wilted Dandelion Salad as an appetizer for 4, you’ll need about 1/2 pound of dandelion leaves.  You’ll have to make some real croutons and a warm bacon dressing.  Double the recipe if you want to serve it as a main course.  You can also locate dandelion greens in many grocery stores in the produce section. 

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Wilted Dandelion Salad (serves 4)

1/2 pound young dandelion leaves

1/2 red onion, sliced

4 slices of Italian bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 tbs. unsalted butter

1 clove garlic, chopped

4 slices of smoked bacon, thick slice

3 tsp. salad oil

2 tsp. cider vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat your oven to 350° F.  Heat a sauté pan on the top of the stove that is large enough to hold the bread in one layer.  Melt the butter, sauté the garlic for just a minute, then add the bread cubes.  Season with salt and pepper, toss the bread to coat it evenly with the seasonings.  Toast the croutons in the oven for about 20 minutes, until they are toasted through.  Keep warm.

Roughly tear the dandelion leaves into 1 inch pieces and put them in a large salad bowl.  Add the red onion.  Set aside while you make the dressing.

Slice the bacon into matchsticks.  Heat a large sauté pan, add the bacon slices and cook them on high, stirring constantly, until they crisp.  Remove the bacon slices from the pan and put them on top of the salad.  Do not dump out the bacon grease.  It will be used to make the dressing. 

Return the pan to the heat.  Add the cider vinegar.  Scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen all those crispy bits.  Add the salad oil and season with salt and pepper.  Add the warm croutons to the salad bowl.  Pour the dressing over the salad and quickly mix the greens.  Divide the salad onto 4 plates and serve immediately.