In case you haven’t noticed, mushrooms are trending. Images of Amanita muscaria, the classic red-and-white toadstool also known as the fly agaric, are ubiquitous on greeting cards, T-shirts, even as tattoos. Literally everyone, from your mother’s anxiety-ridden uncle to your groovy stepson, is microdosing psilocybin. This seems to have ushered in an increased desire to venture into the woods in search of edible and medicinal fungi. And it’s partly what’s driving the current obsession with foraging, especially among young Brooklynites heading upstate for the weekend.
Since 2017, they’ve been coming on walks with The Outside Institute, an organization I founded to provide nature-based education in the Catskills. A few years in, I realized that if I included the word “foraging” anywhere in the event description, more people would sign up. I resisted doing so at first, concerned this was yet another expression of our extractive conditioning—the forest as rustic retail boutique. But then I realized that living as hunter-gatherers on the land for nearly 200,000 years had left quite an impression on our species. The urge to forage is written in our DNA.
A big reason why foraging seems so relevant right now is the sense of self-reliance it imparts. Hey, I can find dinner in the backyard! Survivalists have long understood that identifying wild edibles—and knowing how to prepare and preserve them—is an essential skill in the face of the possible breakdown of social order. And who isn’t worried about that at this point? Even just learning to supplement what you buy at farmers’ markets and groceries stores can feel very empowering.
Going Wild
Foraging requires that you get to know the land and this means hours spent in the wild, tramping through meadows and strolling under the living canopy. Time slows. Your senses come alive and tune into the birdsong, the incredible textures and patterns, the feel of the air on your skin. Being drenched in pleasure like this is its own reward. But there’s plenty of science out there telling us that time spent with trees and plants improves mood, lowers blood pressure, and enhances creativity by making us more curious, more flexible in our way of thinking, and more able to access new ideas. And don’t underestimate the new and hyperlocal flavors you’ll encounter. Talk about terroir. Toothwort! Knotweed! Spicebush! Wild plants taste more concentrated, more intense, and often provide greater nutritional benefits than our usual green fare.
Once you decide to forage, questions immediately arise: How? Where? When? While this may be a primal skill, we cannot rely on instinct. There are so many aspects of foraging we must master to feel safe and comfortable. It’s important to be aware of the laws and regulations that have been put in place, mostly to protect the land. Look on county and state park websites to find out the particulars on your area. Harvesting any plants on state land in New York is largely prohibited, so you risk expulsion and/or fines. One option is to seek out private land and obtain permission from the owner to walk and forage there. It’s frustrating that this is pretty much the only option if you want to respect the law. I’ve been wondering if foraging will become the new hunting, with licenses issued and limits set. There are worse things to imagine than the problem of too many foragers, since loads of people deeply engaged with the land would necessarily lead to radical and much-needed change.
Wherever you forage, make sure it’s a clean environment. Areas prone to lead, pesticides, and other chemicals should obviously be avoided, as should drainage ditches and roadsides. Seek out spots far from other foragers, where resources are abundant, and only take what you need. Every ecosystem is delicately balanced and many other creatures rely on the same flora and fungi we covet. To learn which ones can be harvested freely, and in what season, consult field guides, watch YouTube videos and get an identification app like Pl@ntnet or iNaturalist. Going out with a teacher is probably the most helpful. Foraging legend Euell Gibbons once said that you can describe the difference between a head of iceberg lettuce and a head of green cabbage to someone but showing them the actual thing in person is infinitely more effective. To be clear: Guessing is not an option. Always remember the forager’s adage: When in doubt, throw it out.
Google “Amanita phalloides,” if you need to remind yourself why. It’s one mushroom you can leave behind.
Nettle Soup Recipe
Serves 6
Ingredients
• 8 ounces nettles (tender tops)
• ½ tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 tablespoon butter
• 1 large yellow onion, peeled and chopped
• 1 russet potato, peeled and chopped (or substitute 1/3 cup white rice)
• 6 cups nettle blanching water
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
Directions
Set a large pot of water to boil over high heat.
While wearing sturdy gloves, pick over the nettles and discard any insects or extraneous plant matter. When the water boils, add 1 tablespoon sea salt and use tongs to transfer the nettles to the pot. Blanch for 5 minutes. Use tongs to remove cooked nettles to a bowl. (Do this in batches, if needed.) Set aside blanching liquid to cool.
Gently squeeze and discard a bit of excess liquid from the nettles, then sort through them, removing any tough stalks as needed. Use a fine-mesh strainer to strain blanching liquid into a separate bowl or a large pitcher.
Place the butter and olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, add the onion and potato and sauté for about 5 minutes. Pour in 6 cups of the blanching liquid and simmer until potato is very tender, about 15 minutes. Add the nettles and cook gently for an additional 15 minutes.
Working in batches, as needed, purée the soup in a Vitamix, food processor or blender until very smooth. Return to a clean pot on the stove over very low heat and stir in the cream. Add salt to taste. Serve warm, topping each portion with a dollop of yogurt or creme fraiche, if desired, and a sprinkling of flaky sea salt.
Laura Chávez Silverman is the founding naturalist of the Outside Institute, which connects people to the healing and transformative powers of nature through guided walks, foraging classes, botanical mixology and culinary gatherings that highlight wild flavors.
This article appears in April 2023.
