Jess Starwood

Gourmet Wild Food, Herbalism & Mycology

  • Prickly Pear Succulent Salad

    …& Prickly Pear Margarita! The most commonly eaten cactus worldwide is the prickly pear (all Opuntia species are edible, though some are tastier than others). It is both a fruit… Read more

  • Wildly Sweet & Savory: The Prickly Pear

    (Originally published in Edible Ojai & Ventura County, Summer 2022) The most commonly eaten cactus worldwide is the prickly pear (all Opuntia species are edible, though some are tastier than… Read more

  • Rise of the Pandemic Era Forager

    (Originally published in Spring 2022 issue of Edible Ojai & Ventura County)By Jess Starwood Once an outright necessity of humankind, foraging for one’s sustenance in the wild had taken a… Read more

  • Sonoran Desert Granola

    With coconut yogurt, western redbud and manzanita flowers After harvesting the various desert fruits and seeds throughout the year, it has become time to clear out the pantry in preparation… Read more

  • Baja Botanical Expedition & Adventure 2021

    Seven days in Baja California Sur exploring edible, medicinal, endemic and rare plants of the region. But not hesitating to stop for waterfalls, hot springs and natural pools. A photo… Read more

  • Edges. An Alaskan Journey.

    As I start to wrap up my fifth summer of solo travels, I can’t help but look back on the journey so far. Five years ago I hopped in my… Read more

  • Healing with Native Plants Workshop & Wild Food Lunch

    In this full day workshop, Dr. Jim Adams will teach about native medicinal plants on a local trail in the morning, followed by a workshop in the afternoon to learn… Read more

  • Art of Wild Food: Photography + Plating Workshop with Foraged Fare

    They say we “eat with our eyes” and research even supports the fact that food that looks good, tastes good. Join forager, herbalist and chef Jess Starwood in an immersive… Read more

  • The Shaman

    The shaman put the blindfold over my eyes. Lying on my back, I was instructed to let out a slow deep breath, and then another. Silence settled in, filling every… Read more

  • The Guardians of Mojave

    Thank you to the desert for this short story. “The Guardians” The sun lingered, still bright and glaring in the late afternoon yet dipping down past the ridge line of… Read more

Wild Food Articles & More

Jess currently teaches foraging, wild foods and nature education classes for children and adults. She founded The Wild Path, a wild food apprenticeship program in 2020 which strives to connect the community to nature in a positive and sustainable way through an immersive six month program. She also leads wild food group adventures on the West Coast and Southwest United States and Mexico.

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