NEW EARTH EATS. ♪
♪ ♪
♪ >> WHEN WE THINK OF LOCALLY
GROWN FOOD, USUALLY A FARM COMES
TO MIND, WITH LOTS OF VEGGIES IN
TIDY ROWS.
TIDY ROWS. BUT FOR A FORAGER WHO HUNTS AND
GATHERS WIDE FOOD FROM
EVERYWHERE FROM BACKYARDS TO
FORESTS, THE LOCAL FOODS ARE
LIMITLESS.
LIMITLESS. >> I SEE FOOD EVERYWHERE AND I
KNOW IF PEOPLE HAD AN EDUCATION
TO KNOW WHAT IS GOOD AND WHAT
CAN BE EATEN, THEY COULD GO OUT
AND PROVIDE FOR THEMSELVES A
LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN THEY ARE
RIGHT NOW.
RIGHT NOW. >> COOPER KNOWS WHICH WILD
PLANTS BELONG ON, SAY, A SALAD
PLATE AND WHERE TO FIND THEM.
THAT'S MADE HER THE GO-TO
FORAGER, WHO ASK COOPER TO
HARVEST MUSHROOMS, BERRIES AND
OTHER INTRIGUING INGREDIENTS.
>> I WAS SERVING AT A RESTAURANT
AND FRIEND'S PARENT CAME IN AND
MENTIONED THAT SOME CHEFS WERE
USING LEAVES IN THEIR SALADS.
I WONDER WHAT LEAF YOU CAN EAT.
I GOT REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT IT.
I THINK IT STARTED IN ANY YARD,
JUST USING THE THINGS THAT WERE
ALREADY GROWING AROUND ME, AND
LEARNING WHICH ONES WERE EDIBLE
AND WHICH ONES WEREN'T.
>> BY DAY COOPER SPENDS HER TIME
WORKING AT LOCAL FARMS WHICH HAS
SHAPED HER EXPERIENCE AS A
FORAGER.
FORAGER. >> I THINK WE LIVE IN, LIKE, A
VERY CONTROLLED WORLD RIGHT NOW.
EVERYTHING IS POLISHED.
WHEN YOU ARE FARMING, YOU CAN
KIND OF MANIPULATE YOUR
AGRICULTURE, THE TIME YOU PLANT,
AND THE TIME YOU HARVEST AND THE
IMPLEMENTS YOU PUT INTO THAT
GROUND WILL MAKE A HUGE
DIFFERENCE WHERE WILD FOOD IS
SOMETHING THAT GROWS ITSELF, AND
IT KIND OF CONNECTS YOU TO
WHAT'S GOING ON IN NATURAL
WORLD, I THINK.
IT MAKES YOU PAY MORE ATTENTION.
RIGHT OF I STARTED FORAGING, I
COULD BARELY DRIVE MACES BECAUSE
I WAS SO BUSY LOOKING ON THE
SIDES OF THE ROADS TO SEE IF
THERE WAS ANYTHING THERE I COULD
EAT.
EAT. >> NOWADAYS, REQUESTS CHANGE
WITH THE SEASON.
IN THE SUMMER, CHEFS ASK COOPER
HARVEST MUSHROOM VARIETIES LIKE
OYSTER, WOODS AND CHANTARELLES.
>> FORAGING IS DEFINITELY A
TREASURE HUNT.
TREASURE HUNT. I THINK THAT'S THE PART I LIKE
THE MOST ABOUT IT.
I START BEAMING WHEN I TALK
ABOUT IT.
ABOUT IT. IT'S SO EXCITING.
IT'S A BIT OF A GAMBLING,
ESPECIALLY MUSHROOM HUNTING.
THEY ARE SO UNPREDICTABLE.
YOU JUST DON'T KNOW.
WHEN YOU GET A REALLY GOOD
PATCH, IT'S KIND OF A HIGH
ALMOST.
ALMOST. ♪
♪ SO WHEN YOU ARE MUSHROOM
HUNTING, YOU WANT A MESH BAG OR
SOME KIND OF A BASKET.
AND WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR
RIGHT NOW IS BEECH TREES AND OAK
TREES, BECAUSE CHANTARELL ES
HAVE ASSOCIATION WITH THOSE
TYPES OF TREES AND YOU ARE
LOOKING NOT LOOKING FOR DEAD
TREES.
TREES. A LOT OF MUSHROOMS WILL GROW ON
DEAD TREES BUT CHANTARELLES ARE
PRETTY EASY TO SPOT BECAUSE THEY
ARE ORANGE.
ARE ORANGE. MY FINGERS TURN ORANGE EVERY
YEAR DURING THE SEASON BECAUSE
YOU ARE CONSTANTLY PICKING UP
THE ORANGE MUSHROOMS.
OH, GOSH, THERE'S A HUGE SLUG ON
IT, DO YOU SEE THAT?
SLUGS LIKE THESE AND SO DO
SNAILS.
SNAILS. THAT'S ANOTHER WAY I TELL WHAT
I'M DOING WHEN I'M MUSHROOM
HUNTING.
HUNTING. A LOT OF THE SAME PESTS YOU WILL
FIND ON THAT VARIETY OVER AND
OVER AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE A
DOUBLE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THAT
YOU ARE PICKING THE VARIETY THAT
YOU THINK YOU ARE, THE PESTS YOU
SEE ON IT.
WE ARE GETTING TOWARDS THE END
OF SEASON AND YOU WILL FIND OUT
A LOT MORE DRIED OUT ONES.
THEY START DRYING ARENDT EDGES
HERE.
HERE. -- AROUND THE EDGES HERE.
ONE CHEF TOLD ME LIKES THEM MORE
AS THEY START TO DRY OUT BECAUSE
THE FLAVORS ARE INTENSE.
I THINK THIS IS THE BEST SHAPE I
HAVE EVER BEEN IN IN MY LIFE.
I LOVE THAT IT'S A JOB I CAN
KIND OF GO OUT AND GET AWAY FROM
EVERYBODY AND JUST BE OUT THERE
BY MYSELF FOR A FEW HOURS DOING
IT.
IT. AND I LOVE NATURE.
I LOVE BEING IN THE WOODS.
AND FLAVORS, HONESTLY.
IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO LEARN A NEW
FLAVOR AND EXPLORE SOMETHING YOU
HAVE NEVER TOUCHED BEFORE, I
THINK.
THINK. >> YOU CAN FOLLOW ALL OF
SUMMER'S LATEST FORAGING
ADVENTURES AT