Looking for the first dandelion

Along with sushi, dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) is by far my favorite meal. I started eating it in salad as a kid growing up in Haute-Savoie and ever since considered it to be the ultimate delicacy. I came to sushi much later, somewhere around the late 70’s when I lived in New York. At any rate, I am impatient to see all the snow that’s still in our backyard melt as soon as possible to appreciate our first dandelion salad of the year. Evelyne prepares it like we’ve always done it in Montriond, my childhood village. Just a good dressing with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, mustard, salt and pepper, along with cut boiled eggs. Unlike many, we keep the recipe simple and as a result, we don’t add any strips of bacon to that. But the dandelion experience is much more than eating it; first and foremost it’s the pleasure of picking it when it’s literally coming off the ground (you don’t want to deal with old dandelions; that is gross and should be reserved solely for rabbits, not humans!) We start harvesting in our backyard; where there’s no chemical spraying and no roaming pets so everything is clean and edible. Then, as the season progresses we start gaining altitude and look for it higher up on the mountain. Usually, we can eat the long jagged leaves during April and May. With this year’s late start, we might still find a decent salad late in June. Cleaning it up is a bit of a chore but not for me; it’s an art form, or better yet, a ritual. It transports me back to my youth, reacquaints me with nature and just like yoga, is a great way to forget everything around me. Again, take a close look at the dandelion leaves and you’ll understand why I’m hooked; now, "bon appétit!"