ESG & Wild Food School

[Neil1]

I don't know how many of you are aware of the Really Wild Food Guide and the others that JJ has published, but they are superb for anyone with an interest in wild foods & foraging.
Anyway there is a new volume in the series - ESSENTIAL SURVIVAL GREENS - I recieved a copy today (not sure if it is available yet?) and it is really very good, with the simple recipes and detailed descriptions. This volume however includes a BRILLIANT CD ROM with great pictures of all of the plants mentioned and a guide to "reading the landscape". I have been reading guides for years and have a pretty good library, but this leaves all the others in the shade.
And for anyone that would like personal tuition, Marcus has started the Wild Food School, near Lostwithiel in Cornwall. If the courses are anything like as good as the books, then a day or two at WFS would be cash well spent.
Neil

 

[Tony]

I have to agree with Neil, we've got a review of the books in the pipeline and they're very good. Straight forward and practical.
He's also a very nice chap.

 

[greg2935]

You can order all his available books, (including the essential survival greens) from http://www.countrylovers.co.uk/wildfoodjj/rwfg.htm . I will put my order in today!

Greg

 

[Neil1]

Greg,
You will not be dissapointed, although not many of the recipes use biltong , but there are some very good soups and quick food ideas, most of which not only use wild ingredients, but many could be made in the field.
Neil

 

[Moonraker]

From the web site:

Essential Survival Greens
Book / CD-ROM set. Due early summer 2005.
Not so much a 'cookbook' as JJ's others but how to identify 40+ commonly found edible weeds and how to cook them.

You can order it via email from the site.

Interesting you mention 'reading the landscape' Neil. A really useful skill and often goes unmentioned.

One tip I always do when out foraging. When I spot something I don't just go head down and harvest, I stand and turn slowly 360 degrees just taking in what other trees, plants, moist/ damp, light/ shade, soil conditions etc. This helps me reinforce the type of location in my mind along with a quick digital photo. If you are just starting it is worth taking a notebook too and jotting some notes down.

 

[Justin Time]

"reading the landscape"
great tip MR and Neil

I'll give that a try in the morning!

 

[Neil1]

There are some really top tips on the CD-ROM and in the book too, a lot of it is stuff I have done for years, I have never seen it written anywhere though.
Neil

 

[greg2935]

Just spent a happy (if wet) day near huxam brake to test out the books, I can recommend the pigeon, ham and hazelnut stew! The books are excellent, they have excellent info from preparation tips, to wilderness cooking through to the plant flowering time by month. In the end I ordered "the really wild food guide", "the essential survival greens" and "the essential hedgerow and wayside cookbook". There is some obvious duplication as you would expect but I now have a "home" book and two lighter books to wander around with. They are definitely a set of books that will be useful in the years to come even if there is no decent biltong recipies in there!

Greg

 

[Ronin]

Ideal!!

Marcus is just up the road from me...thats the weekend sorted.