Review: 'Urban Foraging: Find, Gather, and Cook 50 Wild Plants,' by Lisa M. Rose

"Urban Foraging: Find, Gather, and Cook 50 Wild Plants," by Lisa M. Rose. (Timber Press, 236 pages, $19.99.)

Interest in wild foods has exploded in recent years, leading to foraging books ranging from plant and mushroom guides, to chef-driven memoirs, to titles that recover regional and Indigenous foodways.

Herbalist and educator Lisa M. Rose's book falls firmly in the how-to category, a format that will be useful for readers who want to take their first steps toward identifying and harvesting plants that proliferate in alleyways, untended gardens, vacant lots and urban parks.

The book is dedicated to the people of Flint, Mich., and with the exception of persimmon, prickly pear and Japanese knotweed, the 50 plants Rose discusses in the book are all common in Minnesota, as well.

They range from nutrient-dense weeds such as burdock, dandelion, nettle, lamb's quarters and purslane, to windfall fruits such as apple, mulberry and wild grape, to common flowers and herbs that have medicinal and culinary uses.

Rose begins with the basics on plant identification and where to forage. Each chapter includes tips on identification, culinary uses and best ways to harvest the plant.

Her knowledge as an herbalist infuses each chapter as she discusses the culinary uses of wild plants, ranging from medicinal teas to cocktail bitters. Her recipes include the unexpected, such as adding purslane to Thai coconut soup, using nettle in risotto and stuffing daylily blossoms with goat cheese.

"Urban Foraging" offers an accessible introduction to edible plants that spring up in unexpected places.

Trisha Collopy is a Star Tribune copy editor.