The Wild Life: A Year of Living on Wild Food by John Lewis-Stempel

(Doubleday, 2009, £16.99)

Anyone for roast duck with elderberry wine and hogweed mash? Maybe you would prefer a warming bowl of chickweed soup? John Lewis-Stempel's book has opened a whole new world of food to the reader, all of which can be caught, foraged, plucked, picked or caught from the wild and, usually, is completely free.

Being a vegetarian, and a non-fish eating one at that, I must admit I think I would have struggled with this diet for a whole year. Make no mistake, Lewis-Stempel does not hold back on his graphic descriptions of how to catch, skin and cook rabbits, game and fish. However, I found these descriptions to be very interesting, and it does show how far removed many humans are from the whole process of collecting their own food and preparing it. The author's attempts at fishing and shooting game are particularly interesting, as this is for the food which he actually needs to survive and you can almost feel the hunger pangs on occasion.

For fellow veggies there are plenty of recipes, ideas and suggestions for using wild herbs, berries and other plants. I have made jams and jellies from berries collected from the fields near to where I live, but I have always stayed well clear of eating wild mushrooms, which Lewis-Stempel enjoys. Even he, a more than capable forager, has had more than one bout of food poisoning which highlights the importance of obtaining a good book on identifying plants and fungi, and in the latter case, going out with a knowledgeable person as well.

My favourite ideas include recipes for hawthorn jelly, fat hen pancakes with horseradish, and various country wines which sound just delicious.

The book also covers the ups and downs of country life, from the hard hours out in the field with the livestock to the stunningly beautiful moments of perfect solitude on a summer's evening. A running theme throughout the book is of the author trying to train his Retriever dog actually to retrieve shot game and assist with the livestock. The author describes the beauty of the wildlife and scenery surrounding his farm so vividly that you could almost be there too:

‘A cloud of gothic black swarms over the mountain and Edith [his dog] and I spring for shelter under an ash, where we sit on our haunches and watch the raindrops ping rings on the river. Edith and I are feeling rather pleased with ourselves; if I had a tail I'd wag it.'

The book is beautifully written with a very candid view of the countryside and its inhabitants, both human and otherwise. At times, the language is fruity to say the least, and the descriptions of kills made by the author vivid in their telling. However, it is a wonderfully written book and parallels with the beauty and harshness of Nature throughout the seasons.

Rebecca Pridham

Rebecca is the mother of two girls (aged 2 and 3) living on the Worcestershire/ Warwickshire border in a small village with her husband, children and a large tabby cat.

Suggestions for further reading

Richard Mabey, ‘Food for Free' - an introduction to identifying plants, fruits and nuts in the wild.
James Wong, ‘Grow your own drugs' - a guide to using wild and domestically grown herbs, fruits and vegetables for medicinal and cosmetic purposes.

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