Thanks Flora-UK for finding the above link! There's quite a bit of information here regarding Miner's Lettuce. Apparently, it's one of the first things that comes back after a forest fire. Who knew? Anyway there is some nutritional information provided: NUTRITIONAL VALUE : The nutritional composition of miner's-lettuce has been determined to be 37.1 percent protein, 42.5 percent total carbohydrate, and 12.4 percent crude fiber. The calcium:phosphorus ratio is 0.66:1.0 [37].

I may experiment with some lettuce again. I had success growing it before, but the aphids loved it. I picked a head of curly leaf, brought it in the house and immersed it in water, and about 1,000 aphids came swimming out. Gave me such a bad case of heeby-jeebies that I threw it away, pulled up all the lettuce and haven't planted it again. LOL I was thinking about a smooth leaf type like romaine or maybe spinach, then doing a better job about spraying with neem right from the start. I've been better about spraying my zucchini this year and haven't seen a solitary aphid yet. Normally, I'm having to hose colonies off the new growth by now. I'm just not one of those people who can shrug off the possibility of eating a bug. If I want "protein", I'd rather get it from a nice piece of steak. LOL

There you have it Michele. Lady bugs or trap crops if you want to tackle the problem at the source. I am fortunate enough that my home is off-white and a true magnet for them. They don't have to fly out very far in the spring, and I spend some time in April scraping them off the windows for release outside. Aphids show up (in minimal numbers) only after they turn in for the winter sometimes in late October. There are companies that will sell you ladybugs, and flowers and aphids are the only two things they really need to thrive. But planting fava also is worth a try, specially if you plant cattle fava (a cover crop, sold under the name of Banner), which is inexpensive and comes up very early in the spring. You can plant the favas where the tomatoes are going to go, fertilize the soil, and cut them down when you plant the toms (or when they are covered in bugs). If fava fails for you, you can always eat the fava greens, they are very good.

A saying around our garden is, "The rules are different on this side of the fence". Critters that I'd allow, and perhaps even welcome in the yard or nearby woods may be trapped, smashed, or "disposed of" if they are on the inside of the garden fence. It's not fun for many to realize that food isn't always dirt and bug-free during growth, but that is reality in home gardens and commercial farms. I kinda figure, if a bug won't eat it, why would I want to? What has been added to the plant or surroundings to keep the critters away, and is it something I want in my food? Just be sure to wash produce well, cut off damaged areas, and enjoy your harvest.