| There are a number of reasons you might want | | | | going to eat and be sure that it is edible. |
| to use wild plants as food.Wild plants have | | | | Consult a good reference book. If possible |
| some unique flavors that can be among your | | | | have someone who is familiar with a |
| enjoyed favorites. Watercress with something | | | | particular plant point it out to you. Most |
| sweet such as pancake syrup in a peanut | | | | photographs are not of high enough quality to |
| butter sandwich is one I particularly enjoy. | | | | be relied upon to positively identify a wild |
| Dandelion greens pesto mixed with spaghetti | | | | plant.Some edible plants have poisonous |
| sauce is another.Since the taste of many wild | | | | look-alikes. Some plants have edible parts |
| edible plants is so different from the usual | | | | and have poisonous parts. Some plant parts |
| cultivated vegetables, you likely will at | | | | are edible only after being prepared in a |
| first not accept some of them as a delicious | | | | particular way. It is common that a small |
| flavorful food. Just about any food flavor | | | | quantity of a plant can be eaten without |
| other than sweet, salty, starchy, and fat | | | | problems but if you eat too much your |
| are, I suppose, acquired tastes. It takes | | | | digestive system will protest |
| time for your mind to recognize an unfamiliar | | | | forcefully.There's about 6 or 8 disaster |
| flavor as a 'tried and true' favorite. | | | | scenarios that I can think of that seem |
| Introduce a wild food into your diet by | | | | likely to happen at some time. Most of them |
| eating a small amount when you are most | | | | seem unlikely to happen in my lifetime. But |
| hungry. Repeatedly doing so can make the new | | | | you never know. Isn't it prudent to be |
| food one that you especially enjoy.The amount | | | | prepared, at least to some extent, in the |
| of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients in | | | | event the normal food supply is interrupted. |
| wild food, according to many sources, is on | | | | Examples of disasters that seem likely to |
| the average, greater in wild foods. | | | | happen are an asteroid hitting the earth, a |
| Domesticated vegetables have been selectively | | | | massive nuclear war, a global epidemic, and |
| bred for looks, production quantity, taste, | | | | the failure of one or two major crops such as |
| length of storage and other qualities other | | | | corn and wheat due to a widespread disease or |
| than nutrition.The fruits and vegetables sold | | | | climate change.The gathering of wild foods is |
| in the supermarket have been chemically | | | | interesting and enjoyable. Foraging for a |
| fertilized; exposed to herbicides, | | | | favorite or new addition to your menu may |
| pesticides, fungicides, and a variety of | | | | take you through woods, through open fields |
| other chemicals; and they may have been | | | | and meadows and other places of beauty. It is |
| genetically modified and/or irradiated. The | | | | a great way to get out into the natural world |
| safety of eating such produce is of concern | | | | and enjoy its complexity and majesty. It adds |
| to many people. Wild foods for the most part, | | | | to the perception that the world is a good |
| avoid those concerns. If you do gather wild | | | | place that is to be enjoyed. It is |
| foods avoid taking them from along roadsides, | | | | emotionally pleasing to find something that |
| lawns that have been treated with chemicals | | | | seems free and of exceptional value.Making |
| or any other areas that may have been | | | | use of natural foods gives you greater |
| treated.There is the possibility that | | | | awareness of the inter-relatedness of living |
| supermarket food can be contaminated with | | | | things to each other and to the environment. |
| pathogens. Dozens of diseases can be spread | | | | That greater awareness helps us more |
| by an infected person handling food anywhere | | | | appreciate the weather and climate, the |
| from the time it is harvested until it is put | | | | abundance of nature, agriculture and the food |
| into your grocery bag. Plants growing in the | | | | supply, and the importance of protecting |
| wild are untouched by human hands.Wild plants | | | | those things.If you are interested in a few |
| can be prepared in many ways. Greens can be | | | | detailed recipes and a couple of other |
| put through a food processor or blender to | | | | general preparation methods see more |
| make pesto. Add just enough oil and/or water | | | | information on wild edible plants and recipes |
| to let the mixture process well. The pesto | | | | see Foraging the Edible Wild, a list of |
| can then be easily mixed with other | | | | links to more informaion see |
| ingredients such as peanut butter, tomato | | | | |
| sauce, or syrup for flavoring. Some greens | | | | dmoz.org/Recreation/Outdoors/Wildlife/Plants |
| such as lambsquarters, chickweed and purslane | | | | Edible/For a few books on wild edible plants |
| can be used anyway spinach is prepared. | | | | see theforagerpress.com/bookstore |
| Strong or bitter tasting greens can be boiled | | | | plantguides.htmAlan Detwiler started the web |
| changing the water once or twice to reduce | | | | site Leisureideas. Visitors to the site are |
| bitterness. This is sometimes done with | | | | encouraged to use imagination and whatever |
| dandelion leaves. Then other ingredients can | | | | happens to be available to discover new ways |
| be added for flavoring and texture.Wild fruit | | | | to enjoy themselves.Alan writes books on how |
| can simply be mixed with nuts or seeds such | | | | to pursue playfulness and a sense of wonder. |
| as sunflower seeds or almonds.Some plants | | | | His books are available in digital format and |
| such as cattail tuber shoots and burdock root | | | | can be purchased and downloaded on the |
| can be boiled to increase tenderness or to | | | | eBookMall web site. Go to Then do a search |
| reduce strong flavors and then simply eaten | | | | for Detwiler. |
| as is.Be sure of what it is that you are | | | | |