Have you thought about escaping from the modern food system? Growing, foraging, hunting and cooking your own food rather than buying processed "food" from the supermarket? I was sent a copy of Whole Larder Love by Rohan Anderson, and this is a book to help you to grow, gather, hunt and cook your way out of the modern food system. Rohan also has a blog of the same name.
To me, the book has three aspects, the photos, the recipes and the information. The photos are BEAUTIFUL, on every page there is an image of food, either ready to eat, or ready for harvesting. Perfect for inspiring some hard work (gathering and then cooking the food).
The book is split into seven sections of recipes and information:
To me, the book has three aspects, the photos, the recipes and the information. The photos are BEAUTIFUL, on every page there is an image of food, either ready to eat, or ready for harvesting. Perfect for inspiring some hard work (gathering and then cooking the food).
The book is split into seven sections of recipes and information:
- From the garden
- From the wild: hunted
- From the wild: foraged
- From the wild: fished
- From the paddock & pen
- To the larder
- Some basics
The thing that really interested me about this book was the hunting and foraging aspect. As you know from my blog, I think I have garden and paddock sorted, but I would love to eat more wild foods. Generally, I don't really follow recipes, so I would have liked to see more information in this book, and fewer recipes, but I realise that I'm a bit strange that way! The few pages of information that are included, such as the page on skinning a rabbit, are really useful, but left me wanting more. I haven't actually tested any of the recipes, but as soon as I manage to shoot a rabbit (this is pending me getting my gun licence, and then getting a gun, and then getting good enough to hit a rabbit), I am keen to try the Spanish Rabbit Legs. Also when we eventually get our aquaponics working and grow some fish, the smoked fish instructions are great too. And if I can find some mushrooms to forage, there are some delicious looking recipes for those (again, more foraging info would have helped).
I was a little concerned by the relish instructions, only because I just did that research on how to can, and I think that more information on sterilising the jars and the pros and cons of open-kettle vs. water bath canning should have been explained, just to cover the food safety risks. Also the discussion on beef was somewhat lacking, Rohan says that he doesn't like to eat too much beef and lamb because other countries are clearing land to farm these animals. Sure, but in Australia, if you buy beef and lamb it will be Aussie beef and lamb, and there's no new clearing going on. If you choose local organic grass-fed you will be supporting a farmer who has a land management plan for improving their farmland. We need to support local farmers who are doing a good job, and I thought Rohan overstated the problems with beef and lamb, although he did explain that he bought locally farmed free-range pork. The main thing when buying farmed meat, is to find a local organic supplier and make sure you are happy with the way they are farming.
Overall, the lifestyle advocated by this book is analogous with my own and I enjoyed reading a slightly different perspective than most other self-sufficiency books, that usually focus on growing your own, rather than gathering your own. Early on in the book Rohan sums up the reasons for changing the way we obtain food:
"The way that food is produced, shipped, and consumed globally has a negative impact on the environment, on our personal health, on local economies and communities, on our spiritual well-being, and on the quality and flavour of the food itself." Whole Larder Love, Rohan Anderson
Rohan goes on to say (rather bravely I thought):
"I've always said that it's a privilege for us to eat meat, and if you honestly can't bring yourself to "acquire" your own meat, then you shouldn't eat it." Whole Larder Love, Rohan AndersonI can't agree more, only because if you won't kill an animal yourself, how can you ask someone else to do it for you? I know that not everyone has an opportunity to grow and kill their own meat, but if you do have that opportunity, you should take it. You will appreciate the food so much more when you have had to accept where it came from.
What do you think? Do you eat wild foods? Do you grow your own?
What you are describing is how a lot of people here in the mountains live. I don't do much hunting for food as we have plenty to eat so I shoot and trap the animals that poach the garden. We don't need a permit to get a gun but a lot of people use bow and arrows or traps. I may shoot a deer this winter as there are lots roaming around eating corn and alfalfa. I have been planting grain this fall as an experiment on growing our own chicken feed and maybe some flour. Fun times these!
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those people that eat meat but don't kill it myself and I'm pretty sure I wouldn't be able to. I feed them, look after them, cook and eat them, son and husband do the killing and cleaning...Son hunts feral pigs and it sounds like a lot of hard work, I'd have to give up pork.... Physically there is no way that I could humanely kill an animal. I admit it's not good but make myself feel better knowing that our animals are well looked after before I eat them. Sounds like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteBarb.
That's a good point Barb, we don't kill our own steers either, but we are there with the butcher when he does it, so I feel like I'm part of the process even if I don't personally do the killing. I can kill a chicken, but Pete usually swings the axe. It sounds like you're part of the process too. Asking your family to do the work because you're not physcially capable of it is different to expecting an annonymous other person to do it for you. Thanks for your comment.
DeleteI completely agree on the killing your own meat topic. Now, we've only culled a few of our chickens (and it was hard each of the three times we've done it) but it does bring you a whole new perspective about where our food comes from and what goes into preparing it before it reaches the table. It's a perspective that has either become incredibly warped or completely lost, depending on who you talk to. thanks for the book review! I'm off to check out the blog :-)
ReplyDeleteI think that if everyone had the chance, they should rear/hunt and kill their own meat once in their life. It is such an eye opener. It teaches you so much more respect for food and makes me wonder how it can be sold at such low prices
ReplyDeleteI was a follower of his blog, and bought the book last year for my husband for Christmas. I too was dismayed by the lack of preserving safety. However, I made the Atomic Kasundi, but I boiling water bathed it, and it was fantastic!
ReplyDeleteI don't necessarily agree with only eating meat if you 'acquire' it yourself. I am all for awareness and appreciation of where food comes from. But the reality is, not everyone can put the time into learning how to properly kill and butcher their own animals. It's like saying, don't go to the hospital for treatment unless you are prepared to be a nurse. Don't enjoy a movie, unless you learn how to operate the projector equipment. Don't drive a car unless you are prepared to work in a car factory. And we need diversity in society... if all the nurses, teachers, police etc. all left their jobs because they needed to learn how to hunt and spend time growing, foraging and hunting their own food, well, that wouldn't be good! Some people will be the farmers, some people will be the producers, other people will fill other important roles in the community.
Thank you for sharing at the HomeAcre Hop; I hope you'll join us again this Thursday.
ReplyDeleteKathi@oakhillhomestead.com