On the subject of rummaging about for food, I gave it some thought after reading your post.
How about instead of it being a crafting recipe, it is a construction recipe? Take the construction orders for extracting sand from a riverside sand deposit- but replace sand with a grass “tile” to rummage in. and in this, deplete the grass tile into plain dirt.
This occurred to be because while it is not shown, I noticed that free recipe while in the second story of a mansion- and I doubt I could rummage for food up there. Unless those are some real potted plants. My suggestion would still allow for bare scavenging, wile keeping some semblance of realism (Well, as real as modded Cataclysm can be.)
