This, dear friend, may look like an ordinary salad. Perhaps even the most discerning gaze wouldn’t guess its secret at first glance. Hidden, as it is, in the rainbow of colours and leaves. But this is a special salad, indeed. One I excitedly looked forward to making ever since I walked through the garden this morning and discovered the greenery has come alive after the recent autumn rains and everything looks fresh again. The grass, the weeds, the plants, they are all revived. If it weren’t for the yellow leaves beneath the trees I’d think spring has come back.

It was this morning, while walking through the dewy grass, that I discovered my secret ingredient. In the West, the dandelion doesn’t enjoy the reverence given to medicinal plants. In fact, no medicinal plant is recognized in its natural habitat. Their name is mostly known from pharmacy labels. Among these medicinal plants rich with healing properties is, surprise!, the dandelion! It helps cleanse the liver, eliminate toxins, boost digestion and so much more.

On this sunny autumn morning I felt inspired by the richness surrounding me, the fresh air and vivid green palette, sprinkled with accents of burnt yellow and orange from the fallen leaves. I stopped and picked a handful of dandelion leaves. The dew still clinging to them. Just yesterday I saw a wilted bunch looking morose on the grocery store shelf. And here they are, in my garden, on the side of the road, in the parks, everywhere, and yet we don’t make the connection between something picked days ago by someone else, labeled and tagged with a price we’d rather pay and the fresh variety we could pick ourselves.

Well, let’s just say I was almost as excited to find the dandelions growing abundantly in my garden as Colombus must have been when he discovered “The Indies”. For me, picking my own food is immensely gratifying.

Later on, I launched into making the salad as if I was creating a masterpiece. Thought about the combination of textures and flavours I’d add and how they will compliment each other. And definitely thought, with anticipation and delight, about my first bite when I’d get to taste slightly bitter, nutty flavor all dressed up and enhanced by all the other ingredients. The result was even better than my taste buds anticipated.

This salad is special for many reasons but one of them is the fact that making it would set you apart as a connoisseur of the finer things in life. I mean, when was the last time anyone served dandelion salad?

I hope you’re curious, if not salivating already. Ok, let’s make it together.