Urban Foraging

There are things you expect from NY: traffic, noise, pigeons, rats, pizza, bagels, skyscrapers, the subway. Whether you're here for a day or a lifetime, those are all pretty much guaranteed. But there's another side to NY that's a little harder to find. It's not there all the time, and you have to know where to look, but if you pay attention the foraging opportunities are endless.

Truth be told, I barely dip a toe in the potential waters. I don't bother with mushrooms, ginkgo, black walnuts, elderflower, crab apples, nettles, dandelions, or any of the other myriad greens. But there are two things I will hunt down, and dedicate time to picking, and devour: mulberries (June) and raspberries (and blackberries) (June-July).

Mulberries are easy to spot because they're trees. You don't even have to work to identify the bark or leaves or whatever; just look at the ground. If it's covered with the dark splotches of crushed berries, you're in the right place. If the berries are black, they're ready to be picked. They're scattered all over the city, so keep an eye out, but sometimes the trees are too tall to easily harvest. The ones at Green-Wood though, pictured above, are perfect. The path just inside the 25th St entrance is lined with them, and they're within reach of anyone over a foot tall.

Raspberries and blackberries are trickier, because you have to know where to go. And I'm struggling here, with whether or not I should tell you. I want them all to myself. So we'll compromise, and I'll tell you about a patch I found years ago but never get a chance to visit: Riverside Drive, around Grant's Tomb. They're worth seeking out. The berries that grow wild (all over southern NY State, at least), are about ten times better than the ones you buy at the grocery store or farmers' market. I don't know what the deal is, but they're translucent and delicate, not matte, and they taste the way you imagine that difference should.

RECIPE: Pasta with Caramelized Cabbage, Anchovies, & Bread Crumbs. It's not the kind of thing you'd ever come up with on your own, but caramelizing cabbage and using anchovies and bread crumbs with pasta are all things you should be aware of.