The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is the only book on foraging and edible
weeds to focus on the thirteen weeds found all over the world, each of
which represents a complete food source and extensive medical pharmacy
and first-aid kit. More than just a field guide to wild edibles, it is a
global plan for human survival.
When Katrina Blair was eleven she had a life-changing experience where
wild plants spoke to her, beckoning her to become a champion of their
cause. Since then she has spent months on end taking walkabouts in the
wild, eating nothing but what she forages, and has become a wild-foods
advocate, community activist, gardener, and chef, teaching and
presenting internationally about foraging and the healthful lifestyle it
promotes.
Katrina Blair's philosophy in The Wild Wisdom of Weeds is sobering,
realistic, and ultimately optimistic. If we can open our eyes to see the
wisdom found in these weeds right under our noses, instead of trying to
eradicate an "invasive," we will achieve true food security. The Wild
Wisdom of Weeds is about healing ourselves both in body and in spirit,
in an age where technology, commodity agriculture, and processed foods
dictate the terms of our intelligence. But if we can become familiar
with these thirteen edible survival weeds found all over the world, we
will never go hungry, and we will become closer to our own wild human
instincts--all the while enjoying the freshest, wildest, and most
nutritious food there is. For free!
The thirteen plants found growing in every region across the world are:
dandelion, mallow, purslane, plantain, thistle, amaranth, dock, mustard,
grass, chickweed, clover, lambsquarter, and knotweed. These special
plants contribute to the regeneration of the earth while supporting the
survival of our human species; they grow everywhere where human
civilization exists, from the hottest deserts to the Arctic Circle,
following the path of human disturbance. Indeed, the more humans disturb
the earth and put our food supply at risk, the more these thirteen
plants proliferate. It's a survival plan for the ages.
Including over one hundred unique recipes, Katrina Blair's book teaches
us how to prepare these wild plants from root to seed in soups, salads,
slaws, crackers, pestos, seed breads, and seed butters; cereals, green
powders, sauerkrauts, smoothies, and milks; first-aid concoctions such
as tinctures, teas, salves, and soothers; self-care/beauty products
including shampoo, mouthwash, toothpaste (and brush), face masks; and a
lot more. Whether readers are based at home or traveling, this book aims
to empower individuals to maintain a state of optimal health with
minimal cost and effort.
