This is one of my Mom's specialties. She serves it every holiday over endive and people go crazy for it. This spring I decided to find ways to use the millions of dandelion in my yard and this is one of my favorites!
The first step is to gather your greens. My homestead helpers (3 daughters) helped me pick the dandelions by popping them off at the root. You can dig them all up and use the root for other things but we didn't do that this time. It's best to pick the greens before they flower to reduce the risk of them being bitter. Some of ours had blooms but they were still yummy.
Clean them really well. I pick all the leaves and then soak them in my sink.
Next wilt the greens by steaming them.
They are now ready to be awesome-fied by Hot Bacon Dressing. Set greens aside and make dressing as follows:
Here's what you need:
1 lb-1 1/2 lb bacon
1 cup sugar
1 tbls flour
2 eggs
1/2 c. white or cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 or two hard boiled eggs.
1 large, heaping bowlful of any steamed greens you like.
Method:
(Steam greens set aside)
Next: Fry bacon over med. high heat. (Did you guess that this bacon came from our back yard? If you did, you'd be right!)
While bacon cooks mix together:
1 cup Sugar
1 tbls. flour
Add to sugar and flour:
2 eggs
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
remove bacon from grease and crumple. pour out MOST of bacon grease but not all of it.
Pour sugar/vinegar mixture into hot bacon pan and stir like crazy until it thickens and is not foaming. Add crumpled bacon back in.
Stir greens into hot dressing and serve with sliced hard boiled eggs over the top.
(Okay...I realize the picture does NOT make it look that appetizing BUT in my defense I was craving it so badly I almost didn't take pictures at all. My eggs were not nearly cool enough to slice..but you get the point, right?)
People either love this recipe or they hate it. Let me know how you feel after you try it!
