With the recent outbreak of E.coli a few weeks ago the way that we get our food, and how are food is processed has come under some scrutiny. The contaminated spinach illustrated the potential dangers involved with the type of large-scale farming that generates the majority of our food. One of the most obvious problems that can arise from disseminating food over such a large distance is that one individual farm has the potential to contaminate food for thousands of miles. A second problem is that because every town and city receive their food from so many farms and over such a vast geographical distance, that it can take a long time to determine exactly where the root of the contamination lies.

The San Francisco Chronicle ran an article on the benefits of buying from small local farmers. When faced with situations like the E.coli out break the benefits are obvious. You would personally know where your food was from thereby clearing up the two aforementioned issues. The Chronicle is by no means revolutionary in its article. Buying locally grown food is popular among health conscious, socially conscious and status conscious people everywhere.

However, buying local is not an act that criticizes the actually root cause of the problem, which is farming. The basic assumption is still that all edible food comes from land that has been farmed. This simply is not true. The practice of farming is relatively new to both the earth and to our biology. As such, the land, be it a pristine forest, a backyard in suburbia, or a piece of Golden Gate Park has much to offer in the way of safe, healthy and entertaining eating.

Because the earth is covered with edible and medicinal plants, it can take years of study to learn all that the geographical area closest to you can potentially offer. However that by no means precludes the average person from enjoying a wild feast. There are a handful of plants that are widely recognized, and grow pretty much through out the United States.

Clover is an abundant plant that most everybody can recognize pretty quickly. Both the lucky short green clover and its flowering purple or white counterpart are edible. You can toss the various parts of the clover plants into a salad, or enjoy them and their lovely strong flavor alone. Some types of clover are more sweet and tangy, other types I have tried taste peppery, and some just taste like grass. If the clover seems too chewy or tough, which is fairly common in the flowers, you can boil them. The purple flowers have a hint of sweetness to them. I have only eaten them raw, but have read that they are enjoyable if fried too.

Dandelions, though the scourge of anyone in search of a lawn that looks like a putting green, are a incredibly versatile. The roots can be dried by hanging them in a dark, dry spot, like the back of a closet for about 2 weeks. Then they can be ground to make a strong tasting tea, which some use as a coffee substitute because it has a similarly robust taste, but without the caffeine. For a more robust flavor they can be roasted after being dried. The leaves are also edible fresh or boiled, though they become a bit bitter if the plant has already flowered. If the plant has flowered, you're still in luck, because the flowers are tasty, though just plain they can be a bit dusty in the mouth. To combat that, make an indulgent treat by battering and deep-frying them. And, as an added bonus all parts of the dandelion are good for blood circulation.

Acorns can be eaten either green or brown. Processing the acorn to make it edible is more time consuming than the other plants I have mentioned, but a handful of acorns has as much protein as a pound of hamburger, so it can be well worth the time. First you have to shell the acorn - can be done by cracking the shell with a nutcracker. Next you will need to scoop out the fleshier inside. After collecting the desired amount "meat" place it in a pot of water and boil. Once the water turns very dark, drain the water and refill with fresh water and boil again. Repeat this process 3-5 times, until the water boils without turning brown. The water turns brown due to the tannin in the acorns. The mean can then be added to other dishes, eaten plain, or sweetened to hide their slight bitter taste. If you are feeling extra ambitious, or you cannot eat all the cooked acorns you prepared, simply dry the mash. Once fully dried and ground it can be used as a flour substitute. For the most part, in bread and other baking recipes, it's a one-to-one conversion ratio from wheat flour to an acorn flour substitution.

To wash down all those delightful uncultivated treats go find a pine tree. The pine needles make a great tea. All you need to do is chop up a small palm-full of needles and brew as you would any other tea. Aside from the refreshing pine taste a cup of pine needle tea has more vitamin C than a cup of orange juice.

All of these plants are abundant in both feral and contrived environments. They are also plants that most of us have been able to identify since we were in elementary school, and their preparation requires no fantastic cooking skills or equipment.

One important thing to keep in mind while foraging for your own food is pollutants herbicides, pesticides, or fertilizers. Roughly 2/3 of Golden Gate Park (this is my guess from the various pesticide warnings) is off limits due to various chemicals that have been applied to make one plant grow or another plant die. Most large state and national parks however, do not use pesticides, but it is always wise to check.

Though it's not possible for most of us to receive our entire caloric intake from gathering, it is definitely possible for the vast majority of us to augment our diet with locally wild grown items. And avoid the potential threat of contaminated, farm-grown, food.

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