The many tastes of the season here in Southern California come together in this simple yet satisfyingly complex dessert, the Acorn + Persimmon Tart. The most time consuming part is to process the acorns which are abundant this time of year. My preferred method is to cold-leach them, which retains flavor and nutrients, however itContinue reading “Acorn + Persimmon Tart”
Category Archives: Recipes
Tom Kha soup with Chicken of the Woods Mushroom
One of my most favorite soups but with chicken mushrooms in place of real chicken. 1 Tbsp. coconut oil1/2 onion sliced2 garlic cloves choppeda few Thai chiles, halved3 quarter-inch slices slices galangal root, or ginger1 lemongrass stalk pounded with the side of a knife and cut into 2-inch long pieces2 teaspoons red Thai curry paste4Continue reading “Tom Kha soup with Chicken of the Woods Mushroom”
Wild Greens and Pinyon Pine Cream Sauce
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 divingContinue reading “Wild Greens and Pinyon Pine Cream Sauce”
Cactus & Corn Tortillas
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 sufferingContinue reading “Cactus & Corn Tortillas”
Brassicas: Wild and Tame
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”
Wild Black Sage + Turkey Tail Mushroom Tonic
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 freshlyContinue reading “Wild Black Sage + Turkey Tail Mushroom Tonic”
Wild Nettle Soup (vegan)
Welcoming springtime also means the onset of weed season. While many reach for their choice of mass plant destruction (with herbicides being of greatest concern), there are gentler and more sustainable ways to manage the green overgrowth in our yards and public spaces. Many of our wild plants that find their way into our gardensContinue reading “Wild Nettle Soup (vegan)”
Fermented Raw Nut Cheese & Wild Spices
My fermented raw nut cheeses have been quite a crowd pleaser (for vegans and non-vegans alike, which is a total win!) and with so many requests for the recipe and process, here it is! My first go at this I used some wild harvested pinyon pine nuts which, let me tell you, was the mostContinue reading “Fermented Raw Nut Cheese & Wild Spices”
Prickly Pear Mead [Recipe]
Probably one of the most delicious fermented brews that I’ve enjoyed is Prickly Pear mead. Okay, maybe technically its called a “melomel” because it is fermented honey and fruit. But, technicalities aside, with prickly pear fruit in season now, its a great time to make use of this delicious abundant native fruit here in SouthernContinue reading “Prickly Pear Mead [Recipe]”
Jess Starwood 