The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook

Vegetarian Journal, July-August, 2002 by Debra Wasserman

By "Wildman" Steve Brill

The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook is perhaps the most interesting and creative vegan cookbook I've come across in a long time. I first heard about "Wildman" in the 1980s, when he was arrested by two undercover park rangers in New York City's Central Park for "removing vegetation from the park." It turns out that while Steve was leading a wild foods foraging tour through the park, the rangers had infiltrated his group and cited him with criminal mischief for picking a dandelion! Because Steve had eaten the "evidence" he was released with a desk appearance ticket, pending trial. Once the media got hold of this story, "Wildman" became an overnight hero in Manhattan. Because of all the publicity, then-Parks Commissioner Henry Stern turned over a new leaf by dropping all charges and hiring Steve to lead the same tours he had been leading when arrested.

Although "Wildman" no longer works for the park system, he still does lead foraging tours and is now sharing a wide range of wild foods recipes in his new cookbook. You may want to check out earlier guidebooks by Brill that actually show you what the wild foods look like in nature and how to identify them.

Early on in the book is a section called "Unwild Food Recipes" which includes incredible vegan cheese alternatives, sauces, "butters," and condiments. The Wild Foods section's 500 recipes are divided by season and general availability. For example, during the winter months you can find winter cress, chickweed, and wild spearmint. In early spring, chicory, dandelions, stinging nettle, and wild ginger are growing in abundance. In the summer you'll find mulberry, wild currant, mayapple, elderberry, and purslane. And during the autumn months look for acorns, wild pear, chicken mushrooms, amaranth, chestnuts, and black walnuts.

Among the creative recipes you'll find Curried Daylilies, Wild Carrot Croquettes, Sesame Rice with Stinging Nettles, Fiddleheads Almondine, Wisteria Sourdough Pancakes, Wild Garlic Salad, Black Locust Vanilla Pudding, and so much more. If you think you've run out of creative vegan cooking ideas, this book is a must!

The Wild Vegetarian Cookbook (ISBN 1-55832-214-0) is published by The Harvard Common Press. This 500-page hardcover book retails for $29.95 in the US. Look for this cookbook in your local bookstore.