Featuring Forager Goods & Co

In a year of transition, Karl left the restaurant world and opened his dream company, Forager Goods & Co. We sat down with him to bring you a bit of Pacific Northwest magic.

A New Adventure

You started Forager Goods Co during the pandemic. What prompted you to make that change?

There were so many challenges and pivots in 2020, but even with the stress and uncertainty heading into 2021, I knew that I could always forage. I decided I wanted to create a platform for me and my friends around our love of foraging and spending time in nature, and also inspire other people to connect and nourish themselves through the forest.

Mushroom Dish from Karl Holl featuring a carpaccio of porcini with a super simple preparation of shaved celery, Parmigiano Reggiano, and a generous amount of lemon and olive oil.

A Passion for Food

What do you enjoy cooking this time of year?

When it’s so hot out, my go-to is a bright carpaccio using summer porcini with a super simple preparation of shaved celery, Parmigiano Reggiano, and a generous amount of lemon and olive oil. I’m also making a lot of pickles and other preserves that I can incorporate into dishes throughout the year, especially in the months when foraging isn’t as bountiful.

To Roam and Forage

Forager Goods & Co is a modern classic gear and lifestyle brand for those who aspire to connect more deeply with nature through foraging. How did your love of foraging come about? What is your go-to tool?

My love of foraging started back in my days in Napa at Martini House. We had a year-round mushroom tasting menu where I grew my love of all wild foraged edibles. My go-to foraging tools are my basket and my knife - You need a good tool to clean the mushrooms and somewhere safe to put them.

Forager Goods Tea Collaboration with Smith Tea called Breakfast in the Woods

A Sneak Peek

Can you share details of a course you will feature at our Harvest Dinner?

For dessert, we’ll be highlighting our limited edition Forager Goods & Company “Breakfast in the Woods” tea, which we made with mushrooms and roasted green tea in collaboration with Smith Teamaker. We’ll use it to make a beautiful Panna Cotta, topped with a foraged huckleberry compote, stone fruits, and a candy cap mushroom graham cracker rubble. We’re selling a few tins of the “Breakfast in the Woods” tea in the shop if you’re inspired to recreate this dish at home!

Tastemaker Series