Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants In Wild and Not So Wild Places by Steve Brill
An important book for a wild food library. “Wildman” Steve Brill was made famous when he was arrested in Central Park for pulling weeds to teach people about edible wild plants. He eventually went on to be a Park Naturalist for a while and published this book on wild foods. Like others in this section, this book is good because Steve is knowledgeable, honest, and speaks from experience. He explains a lot about each plant, tells you what he used it for, and how he prepared it. He gives you valuable tips, tells you what worked for him and what did not.
This is not a field guide for ‘identifying’ the plants. The line drawings by illustrator Evelyn Dean show an interesting style, but are not my cup of tea. Illustration detail is more arty than helpful to a person who does not already know the plants. Steve’s book is divided into “season” chapters which are further divided into plants found in different habitats. The Table of Contents is so vast as to be unhelpful – just go right to the index. The book ends with tips on how to work with wild foods in the kitchen and a whole chapter of intriguing recipes. Recommended as a part of a wild food library!
Order a copy from [button url=”http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0688114253/wildfoodadven-20″ target=”_blank” style=”xsmall”]Amazon[/button]
