Regratova Solata

This salad is formed from young and soft dandelion leaves and filled with hard boiled eggs, fried potatoes, and crispy pancetta, which gives us extra energy for long spring walks in nature and finishing all those duties in the garden and inside the house. Dandelion leaves have a delightful bitter taste, similar to peppery rocket salad, and should be selected young and fragile before the plant blossoms, else they turn extremely bitter.

Dandelion is high in vitamins and minerals, and it is extremely excellent for bodies. It is bitter, but it is this bitter element in the dandelion leaves that helps to optimize gallbladder and liver function. They are high in potassium, which is good for the kidneys, and iron, which nourishes and purifies blood. This is not by chance, as dandelion salad is highly popular in early spring (around Easter), not only because this is the best time to collect the leaves, but also because this salad is typically served with eggs, which are a sign of purity, rebirth, and rejuvenation.

Ingredients

• 100-150g freshly picked young dandelion leaves, trimmed and picked through, 4 eggs, hard boiled, potatoes (about 400g) cooked and peeled (you can use baby potatoes or new potatoes with the skin on), 150g pancetta rashers (sliced pancetta) or streaky bacon, smoked or unsmoked, extra virgin olive oil (or other type if prefer), vinegar, 1 clove of garlic, peeled and very finely chopped, optional, sea salt, black pepper

Instructions

• Start by preparing all the ingredients needed for the salad.
• Place the potatoes in a pot, cover with water, bring to boil and simmer until cooked.
• Cut pancetta rashers or streaky pancetta into small pieces, place them in a small pan and gently fry until very crisp. Remove them from the pan, and place on to kitchen paper so they can drain, and the excess fat can be absorbed. Let the rashers cool and set them aside.
• Cook the eggs in a small pan of simmering water until hard boiled, cool, peel and cut into quarters.
• Clean dandelion leaves, wash and dry thoroughly (use salad spinner if you have one).