This little book presents one page for each of 22 Eastern Kentucky plants that are claimed to be tasty – some may prefer the term, “edible.” Each of these pages has at least one drawing and short essays on three topics, “Identification and Habitat,” “Edible Parts,” and “Best Time to Harvest.” The plants range from the obvious, like blackberry, to the questionable, like sumac. The largest group, eight, are actually trees. Supplementary pages include a Glossary, References, “Preparing Wild Foods,” “Pictorial Description of Terms,” and an Introduction. Dan Dourson is the author of seven previous books dealing with the natural history of the Appalachians and Latin America, including two earlier editions of essentially this book under the title, Red River Gorge’s Wild Yet Tasty, in 1984 and 2017. For nearly twenty years, Dan Dourson, was a wildlife biologist for the U.S. Forest Service in the Red River Gorge. His wife, Judy, is a retired educator who has worked closely with Dan as a researcher, technician, and editor.
Lexington, Kentucky: South Limestone Books/University Press of Kentucky, 2019. 36 pages, illustrated by Dan Dourson. Trade paperback