Herbalist • Forager • Chef
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, […]
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 […]
As the winds die down here and the danger of the wildfires have passed, we are left with our valleys filling with harmful smoke that can impact our breathing and health. Those with lung or heart diseases and other health conditions are the most at risk for complications due to exposure. Children and the elderly […]
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 gardens […]
This morning I was walking around the farm assessing the non-native plant situation where I’m planning to start my epic herb garden. Most things are going to seed and dying at this point in the season except one prominent plant that I’ve been seeing popping up on the local hillsides lately. They are better known […]
Join us for an interactive and educational experience for kids to learn about the magic of healing herbs and everyday weeds. After a brief tour of the local flora, we will be crafting our very own personalized potions and elixirs! Recommended for ages 7 and up and an accompanying adult. Cost: $25 per child, siblings […]
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 most […]
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 Southern […]
I love it that people call me up and invite me to inspect their overgrown yards to search for lunch! There’s always SOMETHING edible growing… even through the crevices of the sidewalks. Here was a yard full of some of the most succulent and dense purslane and dandelion that I’ve seen in a while. In […]
