A nature study cookbook adding dimension and variety to meal time for rural, suburban or big-city dwellers. Nature's unhandled, unspoiled foods for the housewife and the camper. Thrifty conversation-piece delicacies -- free for the eating! Includes wild fruit, wild greens, wild roots and tubers, wild nuts, and centuries-old brews to quaff from wild beverage bushes.
Free for the Eating is an old book from 1966 that I picked up from a local barn sale about four years ago. I just happened to come upon this sale where an older woman had boxes and boxes of old books she was selling for next to nothing. I was really surprised to come across this bright green book with the text,
“100 WILD PLANTS 300 WAYS TO USE THEM… backyard and wilderness banqueting on nature’s bounty of edible wild plants.”
I ended up buying it for 10 cents and what a steal! It’s in pretty good condition with its original dust jacket. Sure, there are tons of modern books available today that share the use of wild plants with vivid colored photos, and I do appreciate those, but what I like about this one is that it’s pocket-sized and easy to read with just the right amount of information.
The pictures are just sketches, but most plants can still easily be identified. Along with each one, you also get a few recipes like dandelion wine, clover tea, and Scottish lovage candy to name a few. Many of the plants I’m yet to find, but this is nice information to have on hand.
As far as true wild plants, I’ve mainly used dandelion, purslane, plantain, and chickweed, but the amount of edible plants available out in the wild (or just in your backyard for that matter) is fascinating. This covers many basics and it’s is a wonderful book to have if you want to start foraging and get back to your roots. No pun intended! :)