“And you’re stepping into–sinking really–into this clay that’s surrounding your feet, and there’s also some sticks in there, and you know, there’s bugs and spiders on the water…”
This week on the show we kick off the Eats Wild special series, all about foraging and edible wild plants. Monique Philpot, founder of the forest and folk school Soulcraft Bloomington, takes us out to discover wild food in unexpected places, and shares stories of growing up in two places with different food cultures. We sample treats from feasts prepared by children and by college students, and we talk about what love’s got to do with it…with foraging, that is.
Earth Eats has always been about connecting people with their environment through food.
This week we welcome you to the first episode of our special series, Earth Eats Eats Wild–all about foraging and wild foods. We invite you to take notice of your surroundings, to pay attention to subtle seasonal changes and engage in memorable experiences with the natural world.
To start off the series, I sat down with Monique Philpot in the Soulcraft studio, just outside of Bloomington Indiana. It’s a beautifully crafted space of wood finishes and natural light, nestled on the edge of a forest.
Monique Philpot grew up in two places–a small village in Germany, and the suburbs of Indianapolis. Her mom’s family is German and they spent their summers in her home village. As a kid, Monique remembers running around through fields and forests with her cousins and their neighbors, harvesting wild plants and mushrooms, enjoying large meals with extended family, and generally feeling held by the village environment. That experience was in contrast to the life they lived in Indiana, and these dual lifestyles influenced her interests and pursuits as an adult.
Today, she is the founder of Soulcraft Bloomington, a forest and folk school offering classes and workshops on foraging for wild food and many other nature-based arts and skills. She also teaches a wild edible plants course at Indiana University, Bloomington, through Collins Living Learning Center.
We talk with Monique about her personal history and her approach to teaching and we visit one of her classes on campus, and sample dishes featuring wild plants crafted by children.
You can learn more about the history and uses of sochan from The Forager Chef.
Watch this space
We'll have 2 more spring episodes in the Eats Wild special series.
Next, look for 3 episodes featuring berries and other summertime wild treats.
In the fall we’ll share wild edible favorites to forage at the end of the season.
Music on this Episode
The Earth Eats theme music is composed by Erin Tobey and performed by Erin and Matt Tobey.
Additional music on this episode from Universal Production Music.
Credits:
The Earth Eats’ team includes: Eoban Binder, Alexis Carvajal, Alex Chambers, Toby Foster, Luann Johnson, Leo Paes, Daniella Richardson, Samantha Shemenaur, Payton Whaley and Harvest Public Media.
Earth Eats is produced, engineered and edited by Kayte Young. Our executive producer is Eric Bolstridge.
