Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest | Third Place Books- Seward Park

A detailed guide to the most abundant and tasty edible wild plants of the Pacific Northwest.

As part of the Nature of Writing series, Third Place Books and the North Cascades Institute welcome herbalist and forager Natalie Hammerquist to our Seward Park store for a presentation of her new book, Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest: A Visual Guide to Harvesting and Cooking With 40 Common Species.

This event is co-sponsored by the North Cascades Institute, a nonprofit conservation organization working to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature. Learn more at ncascades.org.

For important updates, registration is highly recommended in advance. This event will include a public signing and time for audience Q&A. Sustain our author series by purchasing a copy of the featured book!

About the book:

A foraging guide that emphasizes the tastiest wild foods of the region, Edible Plants of the Pacific Northwest is a comprehensive, effective, and ethical resource for anyone interested in foraged food. Appropriate for beginners and experienced naturalists alike, this book teaches readers to identify, harvest, and cook with 40 of the region’s most common wild plants.

Expert forager and educator Natalie Hammerquist not only teaches readers to recognize the most common plants, but she also shows them how to steer clear of threatened species, as well as toxic and poisonous plants, using highly detailed visuals to make identification more immediate and accurate. Her holistic approach to wild foods incorporates both Eastern and Western traditions, as well as folk knowledge, and invites people to form relationships with the land and to act with reciprocity and care in our wild spaces.

Plants range from familiar treats like nettles and evergreen huckleberries, to lesser-known edibles like cattail, mallow, wood sorrel, and more. Recipes include local favorites like rose-petal jam, dock-seed crackers, and slow-cooker applesauce.