Take a Bite on The Wild Side

by Rosemary Campiformio

My love affair with all things wild began as a child as I foraged with my Grandfather.

It was his love for the land- actually for mushrooms- that inspired me to take a closer look... to explore with him the magic to be found there.. gathering clams and mussels at the seashore and mushrooms from the forest and the field...rolling up doughy bread balls and catching catfish and eels from the river... and then running home to cook it all with my mom...

It was this wild seed that he planted in me that grew into a passionate and intimate relationship with the earth... and all that she so willingly offers. And as fate would have it...I found my way from the woods of Connecticut to the small town of Gualala...breathing in the beauty and delighting in the wild nature of the region. Like many before me, I discovered that this Mendocino coast is a wonderland of opportunity for the naturalist.

The inspiration for a seductive relationship with wild food is everywhere.

The Forest is abundant with fungi both culinary and medicinal... Wild huckleberries for pies. Madrone berries for cider, acorns and wild yeast for bread and tree barks for brewing your own tea are there for the gathering. Wild boar, venison, quail, rabbits, raccoons, squirrels and wild turkeys all have found safe havens in the forests of this coastal area.

From the Ocean come our wild succulent brilliantly red fleshed salmon... the Mighty Ling Cod... wild mussels and our beloved abalone... sea urchins, scallops and an assortment of seaweed.

The Meadows and Fields offer up more mushrooms, wild mustard, wild radish, miner's lettuce, wild fennel, berries of all sorts, sour grasses and wild onions.

From the River and Marsh areas we harvest cattails and their delicious hearts, wild nettles, steelhead and crayfish.

So with all of this and more where does one begin to explore the world of hunting and gathering wild food? One begins with information.

For although the urge to forage, to discover the magic of the field, forest, ocean and stream has been with me for lifetimes, those years of gathering have not been haphazard.

All of that time has als been spent on gathering data on what is edible... and most importantly... on what is not.

Reliable guide books are invaluable. I recommend the Flavors of Home by Margit Roos-Collins and David Arora's Mushrooms Demystified as source books for the beginning hunter gatherer because they deal with the wild foods that occur in our local areas.

It is also necessary to be mindful of not only what you are gathering but where you are gathering it from. Avoid harvesting in any areas that have been sprayed with pesticides, herbicides or contaminated with poisons. Picking on the side of the busy road although sometimes convenient is not a good idea. The exhaust fumes from vehicles and the pesticide spray from road maintenance crews are additives one should avoid. Contaminated water sources are also a concern especially when foraging for wild watercress, nettles or harvesting wild mussels. Harvesting in the ocean for mussels and abalone and mushroom picking in the State Parks requires a license.

Once you have garnered the information proceed with simplicity and ease of gathering.

Take it easy and enjoy yourself...have fun. Try incorporating wild food into the kind of food preparation activities that you already know and love. If it is bread making, experiment with wild mushrooms or wild fennel seeds or even your own wild yeast sour dough grape starters. The sour dough starter takes advantage of the many varietals grown in our region yielding Chardonnay biscuits or Zinfandel buns. It adds a special tang and texture to any bread and it can be substituted in most recipes for commercial dry or cake yeast.

Pollen pancakes that are savory are fun and can be served with freshly smoked salmon caviar that you have harvested fresh from your catch.

Wild natural teas are another fascinating source of wild food to develop and explore for the novice gatherer. Try Pine Needle, Douglas fir or Madrone bark. They are simple to prepare, readily available and they will leave you steeping in the wonder that gathering your own food generates.

It really only takes a few minutes to gather some wild food...and with a pinch of imagination...a dash of excitement... and a little bit of daring ...you will find yourself brewing up more than just a cup of tea. For the gathering of wild food reaches deep into one's soul...connecting one with something more...providing meaning and comfort in a world that has lost so much of its connection to
the art, ritual and fun of eating.

So take the time and take a bite on the wild side... but beware....you may be the one that has just been bitten.

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