The Gleaners 1: fruit foraging

Today’s NYTimes food section has a great story on fruit foraging. It’s set largely in California where there is more fruit to forage…lemons, peaches, plums, cherries…sigh.  And by foraging, the reporter is talking about harvesting fruit in public spaces–though what’s technically public space is up for interpretation.

The fruit foragers she profiles have varying approaches. Some develop networks of fruit tree owners who share with each other. Others act on impulse: grab a peach and wolf it down on the spot.

Here in Rhode Island, fruit foragers are more likely to seek out apple or cherry trees, or learn where where wild berries grow. The blueberry bush near the beach, the blackberry patch in the woods, etc. Someone told me about a bountiful stand of raspberry plants growing near a playing field at a local school, but I never could find it. I’ll have to take another ramble through the campus in a few weeks. Maybe this will be the year.