Page 138 - The Hunt - Spring 2024

FOOD & DRINK
Mann, who was in the woods almost daily as chef/owner at the now-closed Junto BYOB in Chadds Ford. The catalyst for Mann’s foraging fixation was an apprenticeship at Noma in Denmark. At his world-famous restaurant, chef René Redzepi routinely scours the countryside for everything edible—and he’s reinvented Nordic cooking along the way.
On a typical spring day, Mann might be searching the woods for fiddlehead ferns, morel and chanterelle mushrooms, nettle, watercress, sorrel, and ramps. He carries along a batch of ziplock bags. “If the weather is wet, I’ll put a paper towel in each bag to absorb moisture, and a wet paper towel if it’s hot and dry,” says Mann, who’s now the executive chef at the Hermitage Inn in West Dover, Vermont. “Of course, you want a paper bag if you
find mushrooms.”
Mark Eastman, owner of Chefs’ Haven in
Hockessin, likes to hunt for morels at the edge of pine forests. Like most serious foragers,
he’s reluctant to discuss the locations of his wild mushroom “farms.” Award-winning West Chester chef Anthony Andiario works
Foraged plants can also be used for teas and dried spices. The roots of young sassafras bushes, when cleaned and chopped into small pieces, can be brewed into a fragrant tea.
with local foragers who show up at the door of his eponymous restaurant in the early mornings with the day’s bounty. Anthony Vietri, meanwhile, is a farmer, a forager and an excellent home cook. In addition to farming grapes for his wines at Va La Vineyards
in Avondale, he also raises chestnuts, figs and Asian pears. Vietri sautés ramps, wild
broccoli rabe, morels and hosta shoots. Violets, dandelions, purslane and creasy find their way into salads. He does not, however, make dandelion wine. “Wild poke is good in frittatas with potatoes and eggs,” Vietri says. “Wild garlic works well in a soup broth or simply sautéed.”
Many foragers learn the art of discerning what’s good and what isn’t—and what’s dangerous and what isn’t—from elders
or colleagues. Others use guidebooks or
take classes. The Delaware Nature Society often weaves elements of foraging into its adult education classes. “Food is a topic
that resonates with most people,” says Joe Sebastiani, director of adult engagement at the society. “We try to incorporate it into most field trips. In the spring, we can sacrifice a few plants for field greens. Plus, there are roots like spring beauty corms, which look a lot like little potatoes.”
In the summer, there are persimmons, raspberries, blackberries and wine berries. Fall brings walnuts, hickory nuts and beech nuts. “We don’t integrate foraging into our
136 THE HUNT MAGAZINE spring 2024