Foraging a beautiful Prince mushroom right outside my door in Mendocino, California.

• Forest to table. I have enjoyed foraging my entire life. I have fond memories of collecting gallons of wild low and high bush cranberries in Alaska as a child. We also sought out wild huckleberries and salmon berries. Locally I find buckets of wild huckleberries in the Mendocino area. My wild Apple Huckleberry Torte will knock your socks off (no processed sugar or nuts).

• In Oregon and California, the woods are filled with an awesome array of wild miner's lettuce, mushrooms, wild onions, berries and more. I find wild harvesting to be a super relaxing and fulfilling activity with family and friends.

• Forest bathing: Studies show that forest bathing prolongs our health and wellbeing. Whether you choose to take on foraging or just choose a peaceful spot to meditate, I highly recommend connecting with the incredible energy of the outdoors. Leave the cell phone at home and unplug. Sit under a grand tree, the edge of a high mountain lake or a bluff overlooking the ocean. Become one with the earth and all the gifts she brings to us. 

As you can see, there is a lot of great mushrooms in this area...

• Ocean to table. If you live near the ocean, there is a wide array of sea vegetables that can be safely harvested at low tides. Check with your local forestry service to see about getting a permit. This will give you information about where to harvest and which sea vegetables may be restricted due to preservation. Locally harvested sea palm is a key factor in bringing the ocean flavor to my vegan Indonesian Kimchi. This and other ferments are a part of the Living Foods Mastery course.

• Check online for local meetup groups in wild foraging. Seek out local foraging groups through meet-up.com or search out workshops. It is a great way to meet new friends and connect with nature.