Into the Woods: Chefs Embrace Foraging Season

What’s the difference between foraging and farming? The city of Los Angeles would say, “a health-code violation.” In actuality, foraging is hunting for food that is wildly grown, as opposed to farm food, which is cultivated. That difference has sparked an earthy debate: LA’s Forage restaurant recently ran into trouble for its monthly "harvests" – diners were invited to bring in their own foraged foods, which the restaurant then prepared as part of a meal. The health department's take was that Forage was serving food that originated from “uncertified” sources, which led to the end of the program. In a time when “local,” “sustainable” and “food miles” are big buzzwords in the food industry, are rulings like this squelching green efforts? We asked some foraging chefs for their thoughts.

Brad McDonald

Executive chef, Crabtree's Kittle House, Chappaqua, NY

Why forage: “Farmers can walk out to their field, and they know what they are going to get. For foragers, it really is a treasure hunt.”

Where to forage: “Bear Mountain is a great spot. Last year we found wild Concord grapes that were the size of marbles.”

Favorite finds: “Ramp flowers. When they go to seed, I plan on picking them and salting them...which would taste like a garlic-flavored caper.”

Tips: “If you aren’t educated enough about foraging, it can be fatal. Find someone who knows what they are doing. I use Wildman Steve Brill’s books and website – he gives great foraging tours of Central Park. And find the proper type of forager for your needs. If you are foraging for mushrooms, use a mushroom forager, not an herb forager.”

Thoughts on Forage in LA: “I disagree with the health department. [It's creating] a disconnect between the people and the plate.”

Matthew Accarrino

Executive chef, SPQR, San Francisco

Why forage: “It’s making use of local bounty. I love that things like morels, chanterelles, porcini and huckleberries are right under our noses.”

Where to forage: “The best places are parks. Low-traffic, clean areas.”

Favorite finds: “Mustard blossoms, wild strawberries, wild blackberries, wood sorrels, onion shoots, miner’s lettuce and wild watercress.”

Tips: “Start by identifying the product that you know, and then carefully expand your repertoire. Don’t plan your menu and go look; look and then plan your menu. And if you’re foraging near a stream, be careful to know what is feeding it.”

Thoughts on Forage in LA: “I could empathize with the health department in the sense that they don’t want people who are just picking mushrooms, for example, and serving what might be poisonous. But I’m sure the restaurant is being wise and judicious about what they are doing, and they understand exactly what they are getting.”

David Felton

Executive chef, Ninety Acres, Peapack, NJ

Why forage: “It’s eye-opening that much of what we regard as weeds and nuisances can be a great source of food.”

Where to forage: “Parklike areas. It’s actually illegal to remove anything from county or state parks, so parklike areas are good.”

Favorite finds: “Ramps, nettles, fiddlehead ferns and morels.”

Tips: “Never take it all – leave some behind so they can reproduce.”

Thoughts on Forage in LA: “It’s like saying that you can’t use vegetables grown in your own garden because they aren’t certified.”

Zak Pelaccio

Chef-owner, Fatty Crab West Village, Fatty Crab Upper West Side, Fatty 'Cue and Cabrito, New York, NY

Why: “It’s so much fun to get away from all the craziness of the city. [But] even in New York City, there’s purslane growing in the cracks of the sidewalks.”

Where: “My family’s farm upstate in Columbia County. I spend a lot of time in the warmer months there predominantly foraging mushrooms. There are also plenty of parks in New Jersey, and Bear Mountain is great. My girlfriend even went foraging in Prospect Park.”

Favorite Finds: “Chanterelles, black trumpet mushrooms, porcini, ramps, wild garlic, wild onions, blueberries, wild mint.”

Tips: “Use a guide, like the Audubon Society's mushroom book. Keep your eyes wide open. Try to watch out for poison ivy. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t find something right away. If you can, go when the rain breaks. The moisture gets things growing. Look for dead trees, turn things over. And keep your mind open. Don’t be adamant – like, ‘I’m going out for chanterelles’ – because there might not be chanterelles, but there might be 10 other things around you.”

Thoughts on Forage in LA: “Laws are designed to protect you from someone who serves a shady product. If everybody was as conscientious as these guys in California, then we wouldn’t need these laws. They weren’t created for people like us, though.”

Scott Anderson

Chef-owner, Elements, Princeton, NJ

Why forage: “It’s a great celebration of seasonality and every year is different.”

Where to forage: “There are a lot of places around Princeton. Up near Sourland Mountain, there are nice spots. The best places are watery spots near river bends, where there are ramps and watercress.”

Favorite finds: “Wild watercress, dandelions, morel mushrooms, ramps, nettles.”

Tips: “Start easy, see what looks familiar. Mushroom foraging is a lot trickier, go with a mycologist or someone who knows what they are doing.”

Thoughts on Forage in LA: “I think the health department is shooting themselves in the foot, especially since they don’t even check every farm. Sure, meat has to be inspected, but as far as I’m concerned, wild fish and produce should be fair game.”

– Kathleen Squires