Chanterelle Hunt and Brunch with Matt Cohen, July 18, 2021

4600 Waverly Avenue,Garrett Park MD 20896

18 July, 2021

Description

Join DC Dames and guests for a seasonal foraging walk with Matt Cohen followed by a delicious brunch at the nearby Black Market Bistro EVENT: Foraging Walk for Chanterelles and Other Summer Gifts DATE: Sunday, July 18 TIME: 9–11:15am LOCATION: Brookside Nature Center, Wheaton Regional Park, MD COST: $40 Members of the Public EVENT: Brunch with Matt Cohen, Dames and Guests DATE: Sunday, July 18 TIME: 11:30am – 1:30pm LOCATION: Black Market Bistro, 4600 Waverly Avenue, Garrett Park, MD COST: $45 Members of the Public Join us for a seasonal foraging walk with Matt Cohen, founder of Matt’s Habitats. If July weather cooperates, we’ll be hunting chanterelles. After the hunt, we’ll gather on the porch of Black Market Bistro where Dame Barb Black and her Chefs will welcome us with a Mimosa. Matt will join us at the Brunch and will speak a few minutes about his foraging experiences. FORAGING WALK Our foraging will start at 9 am at Brookside Nature Center. We’ll depart Brookside about 11:15 am and meet other Dames, guests and the public at the Bistro. There is plenty of free parking there, AND, there is a short but gorgeous forest trail (a loop) behind the Bistro if guests want to end their brunch with a stroll under a forested canopy. For foraging, long pants, sturdy shoes and thick-ish socks are recommended, and, you might want to bring your walking stick, camera, and a zip-lock bag for your finds. If the weather in July isn’t right for chanterelles, Matt will help us identify, taste and pluck other edible gifts of summer. Matt says, “July's heat and humidity signal the beginning of chanterelle season. If the weather has been rainy, there's a good chance we'll find this coveted mushroom as well as other edible or interesting mushrooms. If the mushrooms are scarce, there still are other good wild foods to find such as wine berries, milkweed, mints, sumac, wood sorrel, and more. This walk will be on trails in the woods. There's a possibility that to get to some of the chanterelle patches could require some pushing through prickly vegetation on uneven ground." Foragers might like to know that Gary Lincoff's "The Complete Mushroom Hunter" is a good, fun read and reference book. Tickets to the foraging event are limited. We have a waitlist set up to sign up for a future foraging walk if there is enough interest. Please note, Foraging will start at the Brookside Nature Center in Wheaton Regional Park. Meet-up directions and reminders will be sent before the event. BRUNCH Dames, guests and the public are invited to welcome the foragers at Black Market Bistro, 4600 Waverly Avenue, Garrett Park, MD around 11:30 am. The Bistro occupies airy spaces in a converted home, in a shady residential neighborhood not far from Strathmore Music Center. Dame Barb Black has set aside the porch and front room for us; we’ll be comfortable rain or shine, heat wave or hail. MATT COHEN Matt Cohen started Matt's Habitats in 2003, specializing in sustainable gardening practices with an emphasis on native plants, wildlife habitats, and edible gardens. In 2009 he began to lead walks throughout the year on wild edibles and plant/mushroom identification, and he continually exercises his knowledge of the natural world through conferences, personal study, and lots of time outdoors. The headquarters of Matt's Habitats is a 120-year-old farmhouse in Silver Spring. Rooftop solar panels generate most of the electricity, and vegetable and fruit gardens generate a lot of produce. His 1/4 acre yard also serves as a test plot for many of the native plants that he uses in his clients' yards. Matt donates 10% of his net profit to environmental and humanitarian NGOs including Anacostia Watershed Society, Casa of Maryland, and the Capital Food Bank. He currently serves on the board of the Mycological Association of Washington, DC. BARBARA BLACK Barbara Black has proven herself in the Montgomery County restaurant market through over a decade of ownership of Addie's Restaurant and Black's Bar and Kitchen. With a degree from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park N.Y., she has garnered the skills to execute and supervise quality food production. Her hands on experience of handling the back office operations of a multi- million dollar a year restaurant company will make her an invaluable asset to the new ventures. As a native Washingtonian, she has an in depth understanding of the nuances of the local market place.