Jess Starwood + The Forest Table
Herbalist • Forager • Chef
The journey towards authentic connection I was awoken by my daughter in the middle of the night to let me know she had been ill. I comforted her and went back to bed but could not sleep. My head was suddenly full of chatter and cluttered to-do lists. Habitually, I grabbed my phone “only to … Continue reading It’s not me, it’s you: It’s time we see real people.
I have found that this normally "dry" wild mushroom is an excellent candidate for sous vide, rather than the usual saute. Add in your favorite herbs and seasonings and its lends an incredibly tender and juicy texture. I was a little disappointed in the small size of my only find of this mushroom so far … Continue reading Lemon Rosemary Chicken of the Woods Mushroom
I think the first "wild food" recipe that I ever made was a nettle pesto. I would speculate, though, that is probably most folks initiation into wild foods. It is abundant, found nearly everywhere, and quite simple to make without messing it up too bad. Success is fairly inevitable. Now, after many years of diving … Continue reading Wild Greens and Pinyon Pine Cream Sauce
Last weekend I hosted the incredibly knowledgeable Enrique Villasenor, local healer in training, who taught all about how to use Opuntia species of cactus (aka prickly pear) for healing a vast array of health conditions. It all goes back to "balance" he says, and this plant helps us do that. Even if we aren't suffering … Continue reading Cactus & Corn Tortillas
The Unexpected Journey—Stories of a Solo Traveler “What am I doing?!” I said to myself as intense panic began to set in. I was standing on the edge of a mountain, 20 miles deep into Montana's national forest with no phone service or map after I had wandered off in search of a trail with … Continue reading The Unexpected Journey—Stories of a Solo Traveler
I've been walking through my neighborhood lately to the library instead of driving. Its a nice four mile round trip loop that starts out in a pretty nice area with big properties and then through some open spaces where I've been keeping tabs on the overgrown wild plants. Lots of nettles, mushrooms, pepper tree, nasturtium, … Continue reading Brassicas: Wild and Tame
One of my favorite pairings of local wild flavors is the complex minty aroma of black sage (Salvia mellifera) with the rich heaviness of cacao. Its been a crowd-pleaser in my black sage truffles from last year, but I wasn't in the mood for a heavy chocolate dessert. Instead, I opted to infuse some freshly … Continue reading Wild Black Sage + Turkey Tail Mushroom Tonic
