Some plants such as cattail tuber shoots and burdock root can be boiled to increase tenderness or to reduce strong flavors and then simply eaten as is.

Be sure of what it is that you are going to eat and be sure that it is edible. Consult a good reference book. If possible have someone who is familiar with a particular plant point it out to you. Most photographs are not of high enough quality to be relied upon to positively identify a wild plant.

Some edible plants have poisonous look alikes. Some plants have edible parts and have poisonous parts. Some plant parts are edible only after being prepared in a particular way. It is commom that a small quantity of a plant can be eaten without problems but if you eat too much your digestive system will protest forcefully.

There's about 6 or 8 disaster scenarios that I can think of that seem likely to happen at some time. Most of them seem unlikely to happen in my lifetime. But you never know. Isn't it prudent to be prepared at least to some extend in event normal food supply is interrupted. Examples of disaster that seem likely to happen are an asteroid hitting earth, a massive nuclear war, a global epidemic, and failure of one or two major crops such as corn and wheat due to a widespread disease or climate change.

The gathering of wild foods is interesting and enjoyable. Forgaging for a favorite or new addition to your menu may take you through woods, through open fields and meadows and other places of beauty. It is a great way to get out into natural world and enjoy its complexity and majesty. It adds to perception that world is a good place that is to be enjoyed. It is emotionally pleasing to find something that seems free and of exceptional value.

Making use of natural foods gives you greater awareness of inter-relatedness of living things to each other and to environment. That greater awareness helps us more appreciate weather and climate, abundance of nature, agriculture and food supply, and importance of protecting those things.

If you are interested in a few detailed recipes and a couple of other general preparation methods see www.bobcatswilderkitchen.com

For more information on wild edible plants and recipes see Foraging Edible Wild, http://community.webtv.net/Taimloyd/FORAGINGTHEEDIBLE

For a list of links to more informaion see dmoz.org/Recreation/Outdoors/Wildlife/Plants/Edible/

For a few books on wild edible plants see theforagerpress.com/bookstore/plantguides.htm

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Alan Detwiler is the author of several books on things to do for fun. The books are available at Amazon.com