Wild Kitchen Dinner Party
Edibles abound at Northern California's Farmer's Markets, but they also pop up through sidewalk cracks--as the case may be with fennel, or along hiking trails--where boysenberries and blackberries grow. After a while, you can start to see a salad where there used to be just weeds and seeds. When that happens, you are a forager.
Iso Rabins is an up-and-coming bay area forager who started a CSF--Community Supported Forage, making foods like wild mushrooms, sea beans and wild onions available to members. "Once I learn a new edible, I tend to see it everywhere," he says. Today, Iso's foraging has morphed into The Wild Kitchen Dinner Parties. Held at private homes, the exact location of the dinner party is kept a secret until just before the event. At a recent Wild Kitchen, on a rooftop in the Mission District, 3 tables with 6 guests at each gathered to dine on Iso's array of forage based cuisine.
On the Menu: Wild artichokes in a leek and potato soup for starters. Next, pork and guanciale, an Italian style bacon made from pigs' jowls (foraged from Bi-Rite groceries; Wild Kitchen has yet to get a wild boar, but they remain hopeful) in a loquat mostarda. There was also a pretty salad with wild radish seed pods, nasturtium and wild radish flowers. Dessert was a loquat crisp.
Perk: Diners also enjoyed the company of Jay Kell and Emily Collins of VERGE wine in Healdsburg. Dedicated to the Syrah grape, and fans of end-of-the-road farming, VERGE sources their grapes from organic or biodynamic growers who are on the edges of wilderness, also known as "fringe vineyards". VERGE's supple, earthy wine was perfect with the dinner courses, and with the spirit of the evening.
The cost of this event was $40.00, but the prices vary.
To learn about upcoming Wild Kitchen events, write wildkitchen@gmail.com.
Iso's Foraging Tips
1. When picking wild nettle grab the uppermost leaf while pulling out. This flattens the stingers. (Or just wear good gloves.)
2.While pulling out plants of any kind, cut the plant below the third set of leaves. Cutting this far up lets the plant re-grow.
3. When collecting plants such as wild onions, always replant the "baby" bulbs that cling to the main root. The Native Americans practiced wild managing in this way, and vastly increased yields of edibles over time.
City Dirt Tip: Don't eat anything unless you are 100% certain it's not poisonous. When in doubt, don't nibble, crunch or munch!
Recipe: Iso's Nettle Pesto
6 cups wild nettle
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1/3 cup (50g) pine nuts
1/2 cup (60g) grated parmesan
1/3 cup (80ml) extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1.Blanch and shock your nettles (shocking is simply putting the hot nettles into ice water; this helps them retain their bright green color).
2.Place the blanched nettle, pine nuts, Parmesan, and salt and pepper to taste, in a food processor. Blend the mixture until it is smooth, scraping down the side occasionally. While blending gradually pour in the olive oil until well distributed.
3. You're done! Now you want to eat it, or place it in an ice cube tray and put it in the freezer for later. Keeps for about one month in the freezer.
Calendar Buzz
Wild Game Feast
On November 15th, filmmakers Julie Kahn and Hayley Downs are teaming up with Savory Thymes for a Wild Game Feast to benefit the documentary-in-progress, Swamp Cabbage. Taste a variety of wild game and foraged food and get ready to vote in the jerk-off. More info swampcabbagemovie.blogspot.com
Outstanding in the Field
This esteemed series of communal dinner parties held on small farms and ranches has a yearly event at Pie Ranch in the Santa Cruz Mountains that showcases foraged foods from the nearby sea and forests. December's dinner sold out fast, so a November 22 has been added. More info outstandinginthefeild