The Salt

A Swedish government program called the Edible Country recruited Michelin-starred chefs to create recipes that use ingredients that can be foraged from the areas around 13 picnic tables scattered across the countryside. Diners book a table, show up and hunt for their own food. Tina Stafrén/Visit Sweden hide caption

Illustration from a 19th-century edition of Robinson Crusoe, a novel by Daniel Defoe first published in 1719. It relates the story of Robinson Crusoe, stranded on an island for 28 years and his subsequent fight for survival. Out of desperation, he became a master of innovation, especially at preparing meals. Universal History Archive/Universal Images Group via Getty Images hide caption

Chef Omari McQueen stands in the doorway of his vegan Caribbean pop-up restaurant Dipalicious. Kennedy News and Media hide caption

This toad-shaped sandwich bar called the Toed In, near Los Angeles in 1939, allowed you to grab a bite to eat while your car got serviced. There's a lot of wordplay going on here: the toad-shaped building, the "towing in" of the car, and the stepping or "toeing" in for a snack. Good job, punsters! Ullstein Bild/Ullstein Bild via Getty Images hide caption

Jarret Stopforth, a food scientist and one of the founders of Atomo, reengineered the compounds in regular coffee with his partner until he felt they had created a product that had the same color, aroma, flavor and mouthfeel. Courtesy of Atomo hide caption

A handful of young upstarts are changing Naples' traditional pizza-making habits, bolstered by a new flour called Nuvola (Italian for "cloud"), developed by Italian miller Caputo. Courtesy of Carlo Sammarco hide caption

A suicidal depression almost ended Ella Risbridger's life, but the London poet and journalist instead ended up writing an uplifting cookbook that promises to "make you fall in love with the world again." Courtesy of Gavin Day hide caption

Bren Smith is a seaweed farmer and co-founder of GreenWave, a nonprofit that supports and trains ocean farmers. Courtesy of GreenWave hide caption

Charles Brain helps hand harvest grapes in a Shiraz vineyard in the Swartland wine region of South Africa. Lubanzi Wines, which was started by Brain and his partner, Walker Brown, earned its B Corp certification this year. Christopher Grava/Courtesy of Lubanzi Wines hide caption

Seedlip, a distilled nonalcoholic spirit, was created when Ben Branson came across a 17th-century book that contained nonalcoholic remedies for a variety of maladies — from epilepsy to kidney stones. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images hide caption

Members of the Oregon Solidarity project include (from left) Ed King and Justin King of King Estate Winery; Christine Clair and Joe Ibrahim of Willamette Valley Vineyards, and Brent Stone and Ray Nuclo, also of King Estate Winery. Carolyn Wells Kramer for NPR hide caption

Lunch clubs are becoming a popular trend in offices as a way for co-workers to brighten each other's days by sharing meals they've prepared for one another. They might eat together or at their own separate desks. Ella Olsson/Flickr Creative Commons hide caption

When Corsair Distillery in Nashville, Tenn., wanted to start experimenting with alternative grains, there wasn't a playbook to follow. Now, it makes a quinoa-barley whiskey. Ashlie Stevens/WFPL hide caption

Beloved in eastern Asia, especially Japan, persimmons get little respect in the United States, where many tree owners don't bother harvesting their crop. Alastair Bland/for NPR hide caption

An employee at Grand Traverse Pie Co. in Michigan makes cherry pies. The company has been shipping pies since 1998, when people still had to phone in their orders. Beryl Striewski/Grand Traverse Pie Co. hide caption

For this year's grand prize winner, the judges were impressed by the intricate, working gingerbread gears of the clock inside Santa's workshop. Kristen Hartke/NPR hide caption

Josh Davis tends to his hog herd on his farm in Pocahontas, Ill. Once a popular breed, there are now only a few hundred American mulefoot hogs left. David Kovaluk/St. Louis Public Radio hide caption