As people all over are becoming more connected to their food, they're understanding that it just doesn't come from supermarkets and corner stores. It comes from the Earth. And instead of strawberry picking or apple picking in a designated area at a farm, they've started to get the hang of picking free fruits, vegetables, and other foods growing wild around their local community. This isn't just out in the country; urban foraging is a trend that's on the rise.
The idea of foraging is nothing new, but what used to be considered a survival skill for Grizzly types is now a trend amongst foodies in cities all over the country. Some restaurants are even employing the help of experts to bring foraged foods to their menus to bump up their seasonal bounty. In the Fall and Winter, mushrooms are on the brain, and it's no coincidence that it's one of the best times to seek out wild mushrooms across the country.
I'm curious to know if you'd be interesting in learning about foraging. Would you ever take a class to differentiate between edible and poisonous mushrooms, or try your hand in general at foraging for wild food?
Source: Flickr User furtwangl
The other day I was on a walk in Calistoga and came across a huge field of rosemary. I recognized it instantly and was dreaming of using the earthy sprigs as skewers. Later, my friends and I came across another herb growing. This one was harder to identify because it was flowering. After taking a big sniff, we realized it was mint. Although I rarely come across herbs growing in the wild, I was happy to see that I was able to identify them. Can you? 
All of the culinary cognoscenti's talk of 