4 slices bacon
1-2 tablespoon reserved bacon drippings
1 tablespoon olive oil
MORELS if in season or mushrooms, sliced
Ramps or green onions sliced
1 garlic clove, minced
4 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper or lemon-pepper seasoning, to taste
1/3 cup sliced almonds
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
1. Remove Dandelion buds from their flower stalks (save stalks for another wild dish) Wash and place in rapidly boiling water, cook for a short time just till tender but still with a good chew factor. (be sure that the buds you have picked are preflower stage and NOT preseed stage, one tastes yummy and the other like a mouthful of cooked cotton)
2. Cook bacon slices in a large skillet until crisp. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels, reserving 1-2 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Let bacon cool slightly, then roughly chop or crumble and set aside.
3. To make the dressing, heat reserved bacon drippings along with olive oil over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms (hopefully Morels) and green onions (or Ramps or Wild Onion) and sauté for several minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and sauté for about 2 minutes more or until the green onions have softened. Mix in vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, stirring until heated through. Stir in cooked bacon; remove from heat.
4. Pour bacon dressing over Dandelion buds, tossing greens until coated. Sprinkle with almonds and feta cheese.
I also did this with Dandelion greens and it was equally yummy but different.
This recipe was adapted from this Mother Earth article: http://www.motherearthliving.com/cooking-methods/asian-greens-salad-zmrz12amzdeb.aspx