The Forager Chef's Book of Flora: Recipes and Techniques for Edible Plants from Garden, Field, and Forest

It’s a real treat for forager-type people such as myself to have an entire cookbook dedicated to making quality recipes from harvesting the bounty growing wild around us. It would also be an inspiration for anyone who’s just dabbling (“What the heck can I do with stinging nettle I found on a walk?”).I’m vegan, so ‘The Forager Chef’s Book of Flora’ brings a real richness and satisfaction to my diet. But this book is not vegan, so it’s more versatile than that. There’s steak sauces, flavored butters, bisques, fish, etc. But it’s the creativity and quality of the recipes that really shine and make this cookbook a page-turner. I’ve already bookmarked 15 recipes I want to try, but will have to go ‘foraging’ to find the ingredients. So this book is an adventure.Inside are many descriptive photographs and detailed explanations. Each plant has an interesting introduction based on the author’s knowledge and experience with it. So this is an excellent book for someone just starting out. Yet there was plenty of information I didn’t know.I’ve tried three recipes so far (wild plants are seasonal and variable, so it would take a while to work through all the recipes) and they were so much better than “sauté/steam greens, add salt/pepper and butter and enjoy” (I’ve done a lot of that:).The cookbook is solidly bound with a washable cover, which is a good touch. I’m beyond pleased with this cookbook and find it a real addition to my cooking library.

Incredibly creative cookbook. I’ve enjoyed the recipes I’ve tried and have given this book as a gift. I also really enjoy the writing voice of the author.

If foraging edible plants is an alien concept, Alan Bergo’s careful years of studying, identifying, and culinary experimenting will have you looking at plants differently on your next walk. As a mushroom forager, I’ve never felt confident with identifying and incorporating common, wild edible herbs, plants, and flowers into my prepared meals. Who knew milkweed pods were edible? His lengthy and most importantly, thorough introduction to milkweed left me feeling confident with the possibility of turning this common and abundant “weed” into a foraged and fancy meal. His words come from a place of comfort. Unpretentious.Photos are stunning with clear explanations for most novice explorers out on a walk for something to brighten up their everyday meals.After recreating just three of his beautiful recipes, my palate longs for more! Plants I’ve overlooked have now become delicious additions for my friends and family to “ooh” and “ahhh” over. I can’t recommend it more. In fact, I purchased an extra copy to share.Reading through this book feels like a long walk through a green pasture or wooded park with a friend who just wants to share with you all that they know so you can try them too.There comes a simple joy in foraging free food and turning it into something, confidently, five-star fancy!… and honestly, who doesn’t want that?

This is a beautiful book. Alan is a wizard around wild food. My favorite parts of this book are the wild green soups: really great way to get wild greens into my families diet in a way that tastes amazing!

I love the author's suggestions for vegetation to forage and his tips and recipes on how to use them.The photos are helpful for identification. This is a very useful book for a new culinary and nutritional food adventure.

I have several plants in my garden and yard that are edible and I wanted something that gives me a clue about how to use and prepare them. This book does that. With the variety of plants and recipes, I should be able to put some of my garden to use.Some of these recipes seem quite tasty, too! Clear pictures, instructions and helpful tips.

I own over a hundred foraging and wild foods books, but am very glad I added this one. Mr. Bergo doesn’t choose foods for inclusion purely because they’re edible, but also because they’re delicious. For example, the greens cakes are a wonderful way to make a substantial meal out of green leaves, and his recipe is the best of its kind that I have tried. Many books talk enthusiastically about eating sunflower leaves, leading me to believe that the author never actually tasted them and got this information from some other author who never tasted them. Bergo states promptly that the leaves are edible but very strong-flavored, and goes on to use them as an outer wrapping and then gives a full treatment of the really tasty part, the buds. This book is the work of a chef who knows his flavors.The illustrations are also lovely and deserve a mention.I know that often glowing reviews of new books are provided by the author’s friends. I definitely do not know Mr. Bergo, but this book makes me wish very much that I did.

I am new to foraging, and heard Alan on a podcast made in California. I was listening to him and found he lives in the same area that I do, so it made me feel that I could forage as I was familiar with the plants he was talking about and even was pulling them as I thought they were only weeds . My husband always throws the black walnuts back into the neighbors yard (its the neighbors tree ) but no more! If it falls in my yard, I get it! I think foraging is a good idea, as I am trying to recycle, compost, grow vegetables and plant microgreens. I love food , so this is a new way for me to find additional delicious things to eat. I am eager to start this journey, but presently , I have a garden that is exploding , and must pay attention to the harvest.