Dandelion greens, like a lot of other "wild" greens, are super nutritious, somewhat bitter, and lots of fun to eat. You need some strong flavors to balance the greens, so this salad calls for a strong sweet and sour vinaigrette and grilled Georgia peaches.
Ingredients
Serves 4
2 bunches Italian dandelion greens
2 ripe freestone peaches
2 Hakurei turnips, sliced thinly
2 ounces fresh goat cheese, crumbled
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs red wine vinegar
1 tbs whole grain mustard
1 tbs honey
pinch of kosher salt
Cut off the stemmy part of the greens and chop the leafy parts into manageable chunks. Wash and spin dry in a salad spinner if you've got one. Shake them in a colander if you don't.
Quarter the peaches, rub the flesh parts with a little bit of oil. Cook on a very hot grill until you think you've gone too far, a bit of char is perfectly alright here. If it's too hot to grill or you don't want to build a fire you can also do this in a cast iron pan on your stove. Same method, let the peaches get good and dark. You need to have the heat up very high to get the color quickly without turning the peaches to mush. After they are done slice the peaches in half so you have 16 pieces.
Measure the oil, honey, mustard, and vinegar into a little jar (if you do it in that order the honey won't stick to the measuring spoon). Shake the jar vigorously for a minute to combine.
Toss the greens, sliced turnips, crumbled cheese, peaches, and dressing together and arrange lovingly in a bowl or on a plate.
Enjoy
-Matt
