"There is a lot of self-satisfaction in harvesting one's own food," said Gray, who relishes the sights and sounds of foraging in Oregon's forests, rivers, lakes and, of course, beaches and oceans.
The Lincoln City chef's vocabulary smacks of fiddleheads, bullwhip kelp pickles, winter chanterelles and other interesting edibles he finds and shares with fellow nature lovers and the curious. More than 28 years of "living the lifestyle" has earned Gray the right to call himself "the wild gourmet."

"There is a spiritual reward to be enjoyed by foraging," Gray said of his calling. "The essence of life, the spiritual essence of the plant or animal is still with its host. When we partake of this live food, it supercharges our bodies with the spirits of our meal, making us healthier and hopefully live longer."

Gray believes everyone should get involved with harvesting his or her own food, at least to some extent.

"You never know when this information could save your lives and others around you," he said. "Even if you don't care to live my sort of lifestyle ... with all the turmoil going on in the world today, I think this is a very important ability to possess."

Gray's journey into self-sufficiency began at age 9, while working the line during lunch and dinner at his parents' restaurant, The Pioneer Inn, in Sutter Creek, California. In his spare time, he started his first harvesting venture.

"I used to gather frogs from the local creek, process them, and sell the legs to a French chef in the nearby town of Jackson," Gray said. "My parents didn't know about it. They wouldn't let me serve frog legs at their restaurant."

Gray's interest in nature's bounty grew when he learned of two women starving to death after a plane crash in the California foothills.

"One had a broken leg and the other was fine," he said. "They were found lying under a blackberry bush. If they had only reached up and eaten some of those berries."

The incident so disturbed Gray that he began learning all he could about coexisting with nature.

"I grabbed all the books that had survival techniques and commenced everything to my memory," he said. "There are many books to read on the subject. I would suggest having at least three or four for cross-reference. Many authors just rehash whatever they read and place it in their book, but sometimes you can find something new in another book."

Over the years, Gray continued to fuel his passion for wild edibles and everything natural. His journey led him from working as a chef at some of the best restaurants in Los Angeles and Beverly Hills to working fishing boats on the Oregon coast. Still dissatisfied with what he called a "rat-race existence," he opted for a spiritual journey based on Ruth Beebe Hill's book, "Hanto Yo," about a Lakota boy who ventured out in the tribal tradition of "clearing the mind."

"In the Lakota tribe, when man couldn't find his way in life, he gave away all he owned, walked off naked into the world, and couldn't come back to the tribe until he had a horse, new knife, new bow and arrows, and enough hides to make a tepee," Gray explained.

So in 1982, with only the clothes on his back and a few belongings tucked into a knapsack, Gray moved into a sea cave off just south of Yachats. A few months later, he walked out of the cave a new man.

"I felt as if I were spewed out from the bowels of Mother Earth, reborn as it were," he said.

No horse. No weapons. No hides. Just a new attitude on life and a mission: to educate others about the benefits of consuming wild foods.

In 1988, he teamed with Chef Richard Moore to start The Wild Gourmet catering company. The two collaborated on a cookbook, "Now That I Caught `Em, What Do I Do with `Em," which was finished and self-published by Gray after Moore's untimely death at sea in a fishing boat accident off Depoe Bay.  

That same year, Gray entered the Governor's Cook-Off, taking fourth place out of 62 chefs.

Introduced as "the wild gourmet," he walked away with a nickname, a culinary diploma, and raves for creating a "Most Unusual Dish." Gray also took accolades that year for his part in Team USA for the Culinary Olympics, and again as an advisor in 1992. He also won recognition for his culinary abilities in the 1989 International Tuna and the 2001 Oyster Cloister competitions.

In 1990, Gray began sharing his expertise with young chefs from the Western Culinary Institute, located in Portland.

"I would drag them all down to the beach and show them all the wonderful edibles that I had introduced to the culinary world," he said.

The Lincoln City Visitors Center then approached him to take groups of tour writers and agents on his walks. About three years ago, he opened the classes to the public, and, he said, "It's just been a landslide since then!"

Today, Gray, also known in culinary circles as the "grandfather of Northwest cuisine," teaches classes, lectures, writes articles, produces a local cable TV show and creates "how-to" videos for YouTube. He caters for wild-foods aficionados nationwide, having served such celebrities as John Wayne, Robert Conrad, Marlo Thomas and Herb Alpert, to name a few. A second cookbook, "Recipe of a Man: The Wild Gourmet," will be released soon. And from time to time, he still makes a few pots of cioppino and other favorite dishes.

"It keeps my `chops' up, so to speak," he said laughingly.

From trying wild oyster mushrooms to surviving in nature, Gray usually has the answers.

"Nature's supermarket is always open," he said. "And it's all free for the eating."

For more information, visit www.thewildgourmet.com or call (541) 992-3798.