Sausalito resident Maria Finn’s “Forage. Gather. Feast” features more than 100 recipes. (Photo by Marla Aufmuth)
Farmers markets connect California’s rich agricultural regions with its densely populated suburban communities, but there are also less common sources for gathering ingredients for your meals.
Author, speaker, chef, sustainability expert and Sausalito houseboat resident Maria Finn has long championed the ethos of living in harmony with nature.
Her new cookbook, “Forage. Gather. Feast.: 100+ Recipes from West Coast Forests, Shores, and Urban Spaces,” encourages readers to think outside the box and explore the culinary wonders, many of which are free, found in the rich ecosystems that inhabit forest floors, waterfronts, and even urban sidewalks.
“Read this book partly as instruction and partly as inspiration,” she writes in the book’s introduction. “It is by no means a comprehensive guide to wild foods, nor is it an endorsement of ‘living off the land.'”
Instead, Finn expertly unravels the foraging process, offering clear instructions, helpful tips, stunning photography, and a fresh perspective to help us gain a deeper connection with the food we eat in an age when mass production and industrial agriculture often obscure its origins.
“In the forest there are nuts and mushrooms, on the coast there are seaweed, small fish and clams,” she writes. “I try to mimic nature on my plate as much as possible.”
The cookbook is structured around three sections, or ecosystems: coast (seaweed, clams, crabs, shrimp, sea urchins, small fish), forest (mushroom types, trees, and undergrowth), and urban spaces (wild vegetables, wild berries, fruits, and flowers). Each section offers a glimpse into culinary delights waiting to be discovered and enjoyed, from seaweed gremolata to pine and porcini crackers.
“After spending time in the woods, it makes sense to have pine nuts and needles on flatbread with black trumpet, a grazing platter with mushroom pate and pickled fiddlehead ferns, or bay berry cocoa for dessert after porcini risotto by the campfire,” she writes, adding that while the recipes are simple, some of the ingredients might be a little unusual. “Some of them can be found at farmers’ markets or grocery stores depending on the season, but the fun part is finding rose hips or huckleberries in your own patch.”
In the chapter on seaweed, which includes photos of different types of seaweed and best practices for harvesting and processing, Finn notes that in the United States, all types of seaweed are edible, although they all have different flavors.
“Seaweed is a superfood. In fact, it’s one of the most nutritious foods you can eat,” she writes, emphasizing that it’s even better if you collect it yourself: “As the sun comes up, you can marvel at the tide pools and the sea creatures making their long, slow journey to land. It’s a sublime experience that can be reflected in your cooking.”
Finn’s cookbook is available at local and online retailers that sell books.
Finn’s Affair and Adventures
Finn is an expert on wild foods on the West Coast, has taken immersive food-focused journeys from California to Alaska through Flora & Fungi Adventures, and is launching the Institute for Ecosystem Based Living, a series of pop-up events integrating science, art, and food for regenerative living.
Her first event, “Ecosystem-Based Living: Wild and Renewable Foods and Fiber,” will run Friday from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. as part of the Sausalito Center for the Arts’ multi-week exhibit “Eco-Evolution: A Force for Change,” running through June 9.
Join California Cloth Foundry founders Finn and Lydia Wendt as they discuss the importance of everyday changes that foster a sustainable, mindful lifestyle and learn how to harmonize your daily habits in food and fashion with the natural world. Small samples of food from her cookbook will be provided and copies of the cookbook will be for sale. For more information and to reserve your free tickets, visit sausalitocenterforthearts.org/eco-evolution-empower-for-change.
On June 22 from 6 to 9 p.m., Finn will speak at Spaulding Marine Center in Sausalito on “Navigation: AI and the Ocean,” and prepare a menu from the cookbook. The menu will include Portside Bakery sourdough bread with homemade seaweed butter and smoked anchovy butter; Star Root Farm mixed greens with pickled fucus, sliced radishes, radish blossoms, salted mulberries, toasted walnuts and nettle dressing; fisherman’s stew with locally sourced clams, mussels, calamari and rockfish; and a dessert platter. Tickets ($55 to $250) are available for purchase at mariafinn.com, where you can also find more information on Finn’s work and other events planned for the summer.
Leanne Battelle is a freelance food writer and restaurant columnist. Email her news and recommendations at ij.lbattelle@gmail.com and follow her on Instagram @therealdealmarin for the latest updates on local cuisine and The Real Deal Marin Restaurant Locator Guide releases.
recipe
Seaweed Gremolata
2 cups
This is a simple green herb sauce with a hint of lemon, a hint of spice and garlic, but the seaweed adds a mineral flavour and depth. Feel free to use any combination of fresh herbs you have on hand; chives and thyme would work too. Rosemary might be too strong for you, but a little goes a long way. Garnish with blue rosemary flowers for a beautiful, light flavour.
Gremolata is easy to make and can be served over oily fish like halibut or halibut, in an aioli with artichokes, or served over half an avocado and salmon roe for a quick breakfast or lunch.
material
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 cup fresh soft herbs (such as a combination of parsley, basil, sage, and oregano), stems removed and coarsely chopped
1/2 cup fresh seaweed (kombu, nori, wakame, etc., or any combination), coarsely chopped, or 1/4 cup dried flakes
Zest of one medium lemon
Juice of one medium lemon
2 cloves of garlic (minced)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
Soak the dried seaweed in warm water for 10 minutes, drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Finely chop the rehydrated seaweed and place in a bowl. Add the lemon zest, minced garlic, minced parsley, and extra virgin olive oil to the bowl with the seaweed. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and stir to combine.
Place all ingredients in a blender and pulse a few times, or you can blend by hand for a chunkier gremolata. Serve Seaweed Gremolata as a garnish with grilled fish, roasted vegetables, or pasta dishes.
Making it the day before allows the flavors to blend together and mellow the garlic flavor a bit.
Store in a covered container for up to 2 weeks.
— Recipe from “Forage. Gather. Feast” by Maria Finn.
