I used to make dandelion tea when I was a kid. I’d pick the dandelions, strip off the leaves and dry them, then brew with hot water for a nice tea. Sometimes I would also pick mint, which my mom grew, to add to it.

More recently, I’ve been using it as a type of “green” — I will cook up greens with some onions and fat (olive oil or animal fat) and garlic and chiles. I love that I can harvest the dandelion fresh from my yard, I know it’s organic and pesticide free. :-) Unfortunately my HOA insists on a “lawn” so whatever I can’t harvest in time I have to destroy before it gets too large and violates their rules on “weeds”. At least in my back yard I can let the dandelions and other such plants grow untrammeled…

There are other “weeds” that are actually edible — our ancestors ate them. It’s too bad we don’t forage anymore. But it’s fun to learn about these things and to experiment.

My next experiment will be to make a tea with my rosehips. I have never done it before, so I’m looking forward to trying.