by Lisa Giroday, Sandra Lopuch and Sam Philips | Dandelion – the tasty, nutritious and beautiful weed – is currently in season.  They’re excellent when sautéed with olive oil, garlic, chili flakes, and a little sea salt. They’re also delicious in salads or as a green in sandwiches. The roots can make a tea, and the flowers are superb on their own. It’s crazy that people would ever want to fight dandelions, because every part is edible.

Taraxacum officinale is the dandelion’s botanical name (the term officinale indicating that the plant has inherent medicinal properties). They’re higher in potassium, vitamin A, iron, and calcium than broccoli, supporting digestion, reducing swelling and inflammation, and can be used to treat liver problems. They’re a little testament to that old saying about the best things in life, as no wallet is ever required. Be sure to pick some before they go to seed!

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Victory Gardens is a team of local urban farmers for hire. Lisa, Sandra and Sam help to transform tired or underused residential and commercial green spaces into food producing gardens. Their ultimate goal is simple enough: to challenge the way communities use space and to participate in the change needed to consume food more sustainably. We’ve worked with them in our own garden, and know them to be pretty awesome – always enthusiastic and excited to talk about growing, sourcing and eating local greens. For the rest of the growing season, they’ve hooked up with Scout to share some cool tips and tricks on how to get the best from of our own backyards. Find out more about their efforts here.