Euell Gibbons (1911–1975)

Ever eat a pine tree? Many parts are edible.
--Euell Gibbons, 1970s TV commercial for Grape Nuts cereal

Back when I was a teen, we went through a spell of making jokes using "Ever eat a ___? Many parts are edible" as a template. A meme, if you will.

In Stalking the Wild Asparagus I discovered I really like Gibbons, the man. The jokes we made might have been funny but now I realize he was a national treasure, an inspiration. He was wonderfully entertaining and generous. He possessed a true show more wealth of information and was a nature-lover of the first order. In his book, even his friends teased him about the effort and economics of foraging. But he always responded good naturedly about it, secretly knowing that his Saturday's bounty was all free and healthful, while his friends gardened or golfed that day--neither of those activities with low economies per take home output. Gibbons knew that he, instead, had the memory of a beautiful day spent in the sun or in a cooling rain among critters and plants with complete relaxation and peace of mind. And arms full of good food.

Sadly, I couldn't help but wonder about how different the American landscape might seem to him now, 50 years later. Would four adults--he, his wife, a friend and his wife--still be able to forage all their meals on a Pennsylvania man's 20 acres? For a week? He did back then. Maybe he could now too, but much of where he might have foraged once is buried under cement or barred by No Trespassing signs, I'm sure.

Still, it did make my heart sing to attentively imagine all that he gathered and vicariously enjoy the many ways he prepared his wild foods. I admired that he carried within him eons of human knowledge.

I felt a twinge of the wannabe prepper in me, wondering how much I could gather right here that was edible. I see thousands of gold bean pods hanging from maligned mesquite trees every late summer and autumn and know the Native Americans made a flour from them. I wonder how that might taste. On leisurely winter walks I've gathered several pounds of pecans from neighbors' trees that fall on the public side. Late this summer, my eldest granddaughter, 20, made prickly pear tuna jelly from cacti growing not more than 10 feet from our homes. The jelly was delicious and sparkled a jewel-like magenta. This summer I taught my littlest granddaughters, 6 and 8, that the weeds growing in their lawn--clover--were edible and tasted lemony. They tried them and were amazed, couldn't wait to share with their parents when they got home.

As I read Gibbons, I realized how all around me, even in a desert, grow edibles. Wild amaranth, dandelions, oaks with acorns, mustard weed, purslane, mushrooms, wild garlic, horehound, milkweed, sage, common sunflowers -all perfectly edible--and more I'm certain if only I too would partake of eons of human knowledge.

I loved this book. No joke. show less

Imagine, if you will, sitting with your grandfather on his screened-in front porch or around a picnic table listening to your great-uncle spin his tales of years past. That might be the sensation you experience reading Gibbons' iconic 1962 text on wild foods.
Filled with personal vignettes, interesting recipes (some even with MSG!), and thoughtful commentary and insightful views, Gibbons came before the 1960's and 70's "back-to-nature" movement and the Foxfire books... perhaps his writings show more helped inspire those endeavors? As portrayed in his text he promotes natural foods, but not as a "natural-only" push... he distinctly states that medical science should be used when necessary, and waxes that his desire that his natural, foraged food diet limits that need. show less

An entertaining read. Euell Gibbons has an engaging way of writing about his subject, gathering from the wild for food and medicine.

This is geared toward the east coast of the United States, but many of the plants mentioned are universal. Written in 1962, I'm thinking that times have changed, and some of the plants in this book may be protected species. It is not encouraged in this day and age. Plants gathered in the way Gibbons talks about, for personal use, will not suffer much, certain show more kinds of harvesting can be beneficial. I don't think there is a real danger that many people in this day and age will go to the trouble and work of gathering, preparing and cooking most of the wild plants herein.

He gives a description of each plant, where it is found, what its uses are, and several ways to cook it. The recipes are not formal, more like someone talking to you. He also mentions several forms of wild meat, such as frog legs, turtle, opossum, groundhog, bluegills, and more. I enjoyed this read, and I think anyone who likes food and cooking and the idea of sustaining themselves without a grocery store would enjoy it as well. Will I go out and gather wild food regularly? Probably not. I've made dandelion wine, salad and roasted roots. Although they were edible, the work involved did not match the payoff of flavor. I have also gathered elderflowers, which was most definitely worth the time and effort, but time and effort are hard to come by. As for digging cattails, or day lilies and hunting down other wild plants for a salad or vegetable, well, I am happy with Farmer's Market. show less

Ever since the first time I used the detailed instructions to make many pints of utterly wonderful maple syrup... mostly Manitoba maple (box elder) because Euell Gibbons accurately assured us that it was quite as good as sugar maple... and learned to identify hedgerow asparagus, I've had a soft spot for this book. That was 50 years ago -- I was 12. Stalking the Wild Asparagus really is a classic that every forager needs to read, and it richly rewards the reading.