Celebrate Spring with a Dandelion Salad

April 14, 2021

Dear Friends,

It's Spring so my thoughts are turning to greens. I can't get enough of them at this time of the year; and one of my favorite springtime meals is a dandelion salad. There are many recipes out there for dandelion salads and this one comes from David Tanis (whose recipes I always love) and The New York Times Cooking site. Use only the youngest dandelion leaves, of course, and use high Omega-3 eggs and canola oil to make this recipe high in Omega-3s. Spring is finally here! It's a new year.

Be well,

Susie

INGREDIENTS

2 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste with a little salt
2 teaspoons grated ginger
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
Salt and ground black pepper
4-6 tablespoons good quality canola oil
6 medium beets, cooked and peeled
6 ounces bacon, cut into 1/4-inch-thick lardons
6 ounces dandelion greens, trimmed, washed and dried
3 8-minute hard-cooked eggs, peeled, quartered and lightly seasoned

PREPARATION

Make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together garlic, ginger, lime juice, sherry vinegar and mustard. Season with salt and pepper, then whisk in canola oil. Taste and adjust seasoning.
Cut the beets into ¾-inch wedges. Put them in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dress with 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette and toss to coat well. Set aside for at least 10 minutes at room temperature, or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
Put a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the lardons and let them begin to brown and sizzle, then reduce heat and cook gently, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or so, until lardons are barely crisp and lightly browned. Remove lardons from pan with a slotted spoon and keep warm.
Put dandelion greens in a large shallow bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper and toss gently to coat. Add up to 3 tablespoons of vinaigrette and toss to coat leaves well. Divide dressed leaves among 6 plates.
Garnish each plate with beets, bacon, hard-cooked eggs.