Urban Foraging with Dave Odd's Eat the Neighborhood Tour

There is no better way to shift your perspective of the everyday than to take an urban foraging tour. Somehow, in the before, you see all around you grass and weeds — and afterwards that single mass of weedy stuff begins to fall apart into distinguishable individuals, soft and fuzzy curiosities, and oh-is-that-the-delicious berry from black nightshade?

Dave Odd has been foraging for decades, and offers tours though his Eat the Neighborhood program. He’s been covered in the media by WTTW, WBEZ, The Chicago Reader, Chicago Magazine, and I’m sure many, many more.

I had the joy of joining for a hike right in my back yard at Montrose Beach this weekend. Over the course of two hours, Dave led us along weedy banks, the lakeshore, and along the urban landscape, pointing out edible plants, berries, trees, medicinals, and utilitarian plants along the way.

I enjoyed Dave’s tour in Oak Park a few years ago. Each time I add a few more plants to my working vocabulary, typically from a culinary perspective. This time, I’ll be adding Hawthorn three berries, Sea Rocket, and Horsetail to my list of things to watch out for. But also the ubiquitous American plantago, as a poultice for mosquito bites.

Thank you again for the hike, Dave!

Here’s what we found:

Hawthorne berries — tastes of pear, apple, crabapple

Poor Man’s Pepper: was historically used as pepper!

Sea Rocket: pleasantly crunchy, mineral-y