Mike Kempenich and I are on the patio of a North Loop bar trading notes about foraging and camper vans. His is parked around the corner, all geared up for his next-day departure for Canada to hunt for fruiting fungi. I’m lucky to have even connected with him considering how much time he spends in … [ Read more]
Your Friendly Neighborhood Mushroom Dealer: One year in, Forest to Fork plans new growth
August 29, 2019 by
“Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask” is botany, history, and sacred stories, all wrapped up in leaves
May 28, 2019 by
If you ever get the opportunity, jump off of Highway 51 in Wisconsin and start driving on County D toward Cunard Lake. In April, the trip takes you along a tree-clad isthmus flanked by still-icy lakes of such striking glamour that we have to slow down to hug the road’s curves to avoid literally dying … [ Read more]
Hunter, Writer, Butcher, Cook: Jamie Carlson and Minnesota’s wild foods movement
September 24, 2018 by
Jamie Carlson’s idea of a perfect field snack is a raw antelope liver, taken directly from the freshly killed animal itself. “Raw antelope liver is the sweetest thing you’re ever going to have,” he says while tending a campfire at Lebanon Hills Regional Park in Eagan. “Pull it out, rinse it off, put a little … [ Read more]
Gearing Up for the Hunt: Q&A with the authors of “Untamed Mushrooms”
July 5, 2018 by
In culinary circles, mushroom hunting is a serious business. In Russia, it’s a favorite pastime; in France, it’s called la chasse aux champignons, and it’s something of a national mania. The appeal is simple: It’s a chance to harvest beautiful, delicious, commercially expensive gifts from nature, step up your cooking game, and commune with nature … [ Read more]
Rooting for ramps: What foragers must do to conserve these coveted wild onions
February 27, 2017 by Leave a Comment
For cooks and diners, the ramp’s arrival on market shelves and restaurant menus each spring induces a rabidity to rival even that of the mighty morel. Known for their sweet onion flavor and their comedic pungency (read: farts), festivals celebrating this stinky herald of spring draw thousands of people in the eastern United States. The … [ Read more]
Foraging with Forager
August 3, 2016 by Leave a Comment
While Austin Jevne picks black cap raspberries, he reminisces about his childhood days spent at his family’s cabin in Minocqua, Wisconsin, and how he learned to apply just the right amount of pressure to pluck the berries from the shrubs. Back then—and even today—the Forager Brewing Co. head brewer and co-owner ate plenty of what … [ Read more]
Holiday Survival Guide
November 30, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Need a festive cocktail to shake up for your guests? Not sure how to navigate your holiday office party? Did mom tell you to bring a side dish to dinner? We’ve got you covered. Welcome to The Growler’s Holiday Survival Guide, everything you’ll need to make this year’s holiday season memorable. DRINK There’s a certain type of drinking … [ Read more]
How to make a foraged centerpiece without leaving your backyard
November 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment
Christine Hoffman is trimming some branches in her Grand Avenue shop, Foxglove Market. “Most of this I found right out back of the building,” she laughs, twisting a gnarly vine into, then around, a small vase. She then adds a burst of fall foliage—reds and oranges, tucked between the browns and greys of some grainy … [ Read more]
