Zelienople restaurant gets its mushrooms the old-fashioned way
ZELIENOPLE — The restaurant’s name says it all: Della Terra, meaning “of the earth” in Italian.
The bistro, located on Zelienople’s Main Street, prides itself on cooking with all-natural ingredients. This extends to its mushrooms, which come straight from the earth to the restaurant by way of a forager.
Most frequent patrons at Della Terra recognize Saul Seerveld as one of the prep cooks. But during certain parts of the year, he has a second job — scrounging around his friends’ backyards looking for the best mushrooms to bring to the restaurant.
Seerveld, who has been foraging for mushrooms and other plants for Della Terra since 2020, believes his hard work in the fields is worth it whenever it hits the customers’ mouths.
“The flavor is fresher and it's more pronounced when they come from nature,” Seerveld said. “They’re more juicy and flavorful than the ones you would get that are cultivated. There's more variety out in nature, and I can bring them in at a better price.”
For those who know what they’re doing, mushroom foraging can be a lucrative operation. In addition to his regular work as a prep cook at Della Terra, Seerveld is paid by the pound for the mushrooms and other plants he brings in, which include wild spinach and amaranth.
For those not in the know, mushroom foraging can put people on the wrong side of the law or make people sick. After all, not all mushrooms are made equal, and not all mushrooms are edible.
That’s why there are mushroom foraging certification courses for those who wish to make a career of it.
“If someone gets sick, it will come back on you,” Seerveld said. “It’s just a risk that would be very unwise to take, to sell to public enterprises or businesses (without a certification).”
Seerveld is not just a mushroom forager, but he’s an officially licensed mushroom forager. His certification comes from the South Carolina company Mushroom Mountain, and is officially recognized by the state of Pennsylvania.
“You've got to go through an intensive study of identifying the mushrooms. The look-a-likes, the poisonous,” Seerveld said. “Once you pass that test, you get certified and you have to retake it every several years.”
While Mushroom Mountain is based in South Carolina, the organization holds in-person classes in multiple locations, and their certification is recognized in nine states.
“It's an extensive two-day training course,” said Mindy Johnson, director of shipping at Mushroom Mountain. “You will be certified in foraging, which allows you to sell to restaurants and farmer’s markets.”
According to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation of Natural Resources, foraging for mushrooms on state parkland for business purposes is not allowed. Seerveld gets around this by foraging on his friends’ property, with their permission.
“That's where I can easily, legally obtain them and bring them to the restaurant and utilize them,” Seerveld said. “It's all local too. It's all within 30 miles of the restaurant.”
According to Seerveld, there is a certain window of time which is prime season for mushroom foraging — summer through late fall. He also recommends looking in wooded areas which have remained mostly undisturbed by human activity.
“That’s when the climate is just right for an abundance of wild mushrooms,” Seerveld said. “Well-established trees that are hundreds of years old are a breeding ground for mushrooms.”
Those who are interested in taking up mushroom foraging for the first time, either as a hobby or as a business enterprise, can find help from a growing support network of like-minded hobbyists, from local clubs to subreddits to Facebook groups.
One of those clubs is the Western Pennsylvania Mushroom Club, which held a “Winter Lichen Walk” at McConnells Mill State Park on Saturday, Jan. 20.
“I recommend checking out people who are passionate about it, and just getting out there yourself as well,” Seerveld said.
