THE WILDMAN OF CENTRAL PARK

You're walking alone in New York City's infamous Central Park. Suddenly, you spy a man in a safari hat popping out of the bushes. He's followed by a large group of people who are intensely studying the ground while pulling up weeds. Should you run? Scream? Head for the police?

Relax. This is not the scene of a future mugging. It's only "Wildman" Steve Brill, urban forager, with some of his faithful followers. Steve is a naturalist and wild food expert who lives in Queens, a borough of New York City. Each weekend, he guides adventurous souls who want to learn about nature's free and nutritious "supermarket." This long-time vegetarian is converting some hardened meat-eaters by pointing out the delicious wild greens that abound even in the heart of the big city and the depths of the suburbs.

When I asked Brill what started him off on his study of edible urban greenery, he quipped, "I was hungry." Actually, Brill taught himself to identify tasty, nutritious vegetation years ago with the aid of a few field guides and a large amount of determination. He gave his first walk in 1981, and has been guiding tours in Manhattan and the other boroughs ever since.

Brill is not just an identifier, but a born entertainer as well. He's been featured on radio, TV and nationwide publications. He has his own show on New York's WBAI radio, and a TV show on NYC's Queens Cable. His book, Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild and Not-So-Wild Places, was just published by William Morrow. In 1986 however, his career had a minor setback.

"I had the 'pleasure' of being arrested for eating a dandelion in Central Park," he explained. "I was only in jail about three hours. They couldn't hold me any longer than that, because I had eaten all the evidence."

Shortly after, the NYC Parks Department relented and decided to hire Brill to do nature walks for them. Participants of Brill's walks gain more than just a cursory overview of the city's ecosystems. "He talks about a lot more than just naming plants," said one retiree who is a seasoned Wildman follower. "Becoming a vegetarian for me was a long, ongoing process. Steve's walks encouraged me, and gave me ideas about good things to eat, and also a view of the world and nature that I didn't have before."

Brill stresses respect for the environment by increasing an awareness of it. "Use things in nature, but also protect them," is Brill's philosophy. If people indiscriminately collect wild plants, it could hasten their extinction. Consequently, Brill asks people on his walks not to dig up roots or to pick plants unless they are common and grow abundantly in the area.

Brill also emphasizes that sampling plants without expert knowledge can be dangerous. "Some people think you can taste any plant once. You can, but you might not be around to taste it a second time!"

On a recent walk through Central Park, I listened to Brill's green philosophy amid the backdrop of skyscrapers. He said that this location is one of his favorite foraging spots. Although it may seem to be an unnatural setting, it is an interesting ecosystem. Because of human intervention, there is enough sun for many of the plants to grow. By the unnatural removal of larger trees and plants, smaller plants have had the chance to thrive.

Brill started our trip by donning a safari hat and giving out some words of warning: "Never eat anything unless you can identify it with 100% certainty." A number of innocuous plant have poisonous look-alikes, such as the innocent Queen Anne's lace or wild carrot. It has a suspicious cousin, hemlock-a deadly poison which was used to execute the Greek philosopher, Socrates.

He also advises that food gathering should take place at least fifty feet away from the road, because there could be residues from gasoline in the plants.

One of our first harvests of the day is garlic mustard, a member of the mustard family. This is a leafy green plant with heart-shaped leaves that end with toothed edges. As you might guess from the name, it has the odor of garlic. Growing in the wild, this plant can reach a height of three feet and can be eaten alone, chopped up and mixed into a salad, or served along with other vegetables to enhance their flavors.

Brill is also adept at pointing out some inedibles. We learned to identify star of Bethlehem, a poisonous plant that is sometimes mistaken for the thin, green shoots of field garlic. However, one identifying characteristic of this dangerous plant is its distinctive white stripe down the middle of its green shoots.

Next, we came upon burdock - a wild, dark green plant with huge leaves that look like elephant ears. The name derives from the plant's burrs which attach easily to your clothing. In fact, some Native Americans called it, "sticks to everything." Although you may find it in stores, the wild variety is much tastier and nutritious. The plant is not only delicious, but also detoxifies the system and stimulates the liver.

When we passed a stately pine tree, Brill explained that if you're lost in the woods and hungry, 'you could eat the inner bark of this tree. "It's edible, but it tastes terrible!" A more flavorful solution would be to gather the needles, chop them up and make a tea which is high in vitamin C. Another way to enjoy pine is to put the needles into your bath for a real, pine-scented bath.

One unique find was the Kentucky coffee tree, a member of the bean family. Although not related to real coffee, the beans from this tree can be brewed to make a coffee-like beverage. Be careful, however, since you have to wash off the poisonous green covering from the beans. The beans are also poisonous if eaten raw. To use them safely, roast the beans for three hours in a roasting pan, and then grind them and brew like coffee.

As we made our way through the urban jungle, we found a hardy plant that thrives throughout the United States. Field garlic is the untamed version of the familiar supermarket denizen. It can be identified by its long, thin green shoots and the characteristic smell of onions. Use it in place of onions, garlic, or chives. The leaves can be chopped and sautéed, and added to soups for a delicious different taste. Because the plant grows in such abundance, Steve has no compunctions about digging up large amounts of this plant.

As Brill concluded his four-hour urban safari, he left his followers with one final warning: "Don't try to learn about too many plants too quickly. It may cause brain tissue breakdown; I call it Dementia Botanica."

If you're in the New York City area and interested in nibbling on wild plants, contact Steve Brill at (718) 291-6825. You can also try calling your local nature center, parks department, or science museum and ask if they can direct you to a wild foods expert in your area.

3/4 cup oat flakes, handful of raisins, 2 cups soy milk 1/4 to 1/2 cup black locust flowers.

Cook the oat flakes and raisins in milk for 5 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly until thickened. Add the flowers a minute or two before it's done cooking. Remove from heat and let stand for 10 to 15 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

2 cups milkweed flowers 1/2 cup roasted almonds 1 tablespoon oil 1 tablespoon lemon juice pinch of salt, handful of chopped scallions

1. Boil flowers for 1 minute; strain and set aside.

2. Gingerly toss flowers with almonds, oil, lemon juice, salt and scallions in a medium bowl.

Makes 2 servings

4 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 cups water, 1 cup oil 3 to 4 cloves of garlic, 1 large potato, baked or boiled, a handful of fresh parsley or dill, black pepper, 1 to 2 cups of chickweed, pinch of salt

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Makes 16 servings.

2 cups fruit juice, 4 cups carrots, coarsely chopped, cooked and mashed 3 cups water, 2 cups roasted sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon salt, 3 tablespoons miso, 3 to 5 tablespoons paprika, 2 tablespoons dill, 1 tablespoon oregano 4 cups onions, chopped; 4-1/2 cups primrose leaves, chopped; 3 cups brown rice, 4-1/2 cups barley or whole wheat flour

1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients. You may need to add a little more liquid or flour to reach a consistency that will shape well.

2. Form into 8 patties and sauté in sesame oil for 6 to 10 minutes on each side, until golden brown.

Makes 8 burgers

3 cups mushrooms, sliced 2 cups snow peas, 5 sliced radishes, 3/4 cup daylily buds, dark sesame oil for sautéing, 3/4 cup vegetable stock or water, 1 tablespoon arrowroot or cornstarch 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar 1 tablespoon honey or apple juice concentrate, dash of cayenne pepper, 1/2 cup cashews or water chestnuts (optional)

1. Sauté the mushrooms, snow peas, radishes and daylily buds in sesame oil until lightly cooked, about 10 minutes.

2. Blend the stock, arrowroot, soy sauce, vinegar, sweetener and cayenne pepper. Pour over vegetables and simmer until thick.

3. Garnish with cashews if desired.

Makes 6 servings