the Urbane Forager: Fruit & Nuts for Free

2015 | Natural World

"The perfect book for anyone wanting to launch themselves into foraging...without swapping their shoes for sandals." Tristan Gooley, (the Natural Navigator). "I have been asked to write four words for this book, so here goes: Beware of this book Why beware of this book? Because it's a trap. You will be chortling heartily as you read the wittily expressed text full of delightful anecdotes about picking and processing the bounty of the 4 seasons, never realising that this sense of amusement is a Trojan horse. With it, comes infection with Alan's contagious enthusiasm for foraging. You will have opened the door to a life time of obsession, preoccupation and distraction with all things related to seasonal harvests. You will be driving down the road, and will suddenly slam the breaks on to leap over a fence in pursuit of fallen nuts. You will miss the post because we get side-tracked by the abundance of blackberries on the way to the letter box. Your hiking friends will disown you because you simply refuse to march purposefully from a-b anymore but insist on ambling distractedly and fiddling around in the hedgerows every few yards. So take my advice.

Put this book down before it is too late. Just put it down. Now. Step away from the book. Still there? Don't say I didn't warn you..." Miles Irving (The Forager Handbook). Focusing on Elderflowers, Cherries, Plums, Blackberries, Hazelnuts, Walnuts, Apples, Pears and Chestnuts, the Urbane Forager's practical support is all you need to guide you to your own exciting fruit and nut based adventures. There is no need to worry about poisonous weeds or fungi and there are plenty of scrumptious recipes for baking and tips for creating thirst quenching drinks. Free seasonal tree id cheat sheets have been included in the appendix, as an aid to key tree identification through Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. This book explains the how, where, what, when and why of functional foraging. As for who, anybody who can turn off their screens for a moment and venture outdoors can benefit from the surprising abundance of delicious fruit available for free near you. Although, there is an app available for that too!

Alan Gibson (Author)