Ellen Zachos

I was brought up in the 1960s by a wild-food-foraging mother who owned and used every book Euell Gibbons ever wrote, so it was a major surprise to me that Ellen Zachos came up with several plants that (in the words of the subtitle) I "didn't know you could eat". Goutweed and garlic mustard, watch out!

I love the introduction with its discussion of how to harvest, where to harvest for least contaminated food, and how to harvest ethically. I love the many detailed colour photos that leave no doubt about the identity of the plants. And I'm very grateful for her instructions on how to handle each individual crop: maybe this year, we'll get properly cured black walnuts. Half a star off, however, for the omission of hardiness zone numbers in a book which deals largely with garden plants such as you might find in a local nursery -- if they aren't there, is it because the nursery lacks enterprise and imagination, or because the plants won't survive in your area? Not a huge defect, but necessitates a few minutes' research for every unfamiliar plant.

Still, definitely a reference book worth its weight in ... walnuts.… (meer)