Forage What You Eat

Maybe a decade ago you went organic: milk, vegetables, meat on occasion. And a couple years ago you went local: trips to the farmer’s market, close inspection of the origin stickers on the stuff you buy at the market. Argentina? Rejected.

What's the next step? For some, it's foraging.

Foraging? You're either nodding your head in recognition or are staring quizzically. So let's break it down. Some committed localvores capitalize on the bounty of their communities by harvesting food grown in their towns or cities: rosemary from the median, loquats in the local park, oranges from a tree by the gas station.

Here in California, Asiya Wadud started a blog called Forage Oakland that allows residents of that city to barter foraged foods with each other, whether it's lemons, persimmons, olives, or city-raised eggs.

"People can live somewhere for years and never really know who's next door. But food binds us all, and it becomes this very simple way to connect," she told The San Francisco Chronicle.

Formal or informal foraging projects have sprouted up in Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia. To whet your appetite before a foraging adventure, check out this recipe for black chokeberry syrup made from foraged berries by a cook at Urban Prairie out of Chicago.