As summer arrives, this immersive weekend invites you to celebrate the season through fresh flavors, practical learning, and hands-on cooking. Discover creative ways to work with seasonal produce and turn it into nourishing meals for yourself, your family, or a larger group. You’ll explore how to make plant-based versions of familiar dishes that are both quick to prepare and full of flavor—proving that healthy food can be delicious, and delicious food can also be healthy.

Spend time in the kitchen with Chef Eytan Kurland and receive direct, hands-on guidance throughout the program. You’ll refine your chopping, sautéing, and roasting skills while learning some of the simple secrets behind favorite Dharmakaya dishes. Just as importantly, you’ll learn how to bring these methods and recipes into your everyday life. Whether you come alone or with a friend, this program is designed for anyone who wants to prepare meals as wholesome and satisfying as those served at the Center. Participation is limited to 10 people.

The experience is open to all, and no cooking background is needed—only curiosity and a desire to learn.

BRING A FRIEND DISCOUNT : If you invite someone who would enjoy the program but has not previously attended the Center, you will both receive 10% off your entire program package. To qualify, two reservations must be made, and at least one participant must be new to a Dharmakaya Center class.

SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE : Partial scholarships are available for this program.

PROGRAM DESCRIPTION

If you already love vegetarian food—or simply want to better understand how it can support long-term health—you’ll learn how to prepare vegetarian and vegan dishes that are exciting, satisfying, and full of taste. Working together, you’ll focus on techniques that bring out deep flavor while keeping the food vibrant and nourishing.

Prepare classic dishes using alternative ingredients for different dietary needs
Practice tools and techniques that make cooking more efficient and enjoyable
Learn how to incorporate elements of these dishes into other recipes with ease
Bonus: Create simple spice blends for an instant flavor boost and take home samples

By the end of the weekend, you’ll leave with new recipes, fresh techniques, and a stronger creative approach to ingredients and flavor pairings.

EVENT HIGHLIGHTS

Intimate setting
All recipes included in course materials
Interactive sessions with hands-on training
Shamatha and guided meditations
Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients, prepared by you
Expansive wooded grounds with beautiful paths, flora, and fauna
Option to extend your stay on Personal Retreat

SCHEDULE

(subject to change)

Friday, June 12

3:00 PM Check in
4:00-6:00 PM Welcome and Introduction
Dinner Preparation with Guided Instruction
6:00-7:00 PM Dinner
7:30-8:30 PM Menu Recap and Open Discussion

Saturday, June 13

7:30-8:00 AM Morning Salutations and Meditation
8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast
9:00-10:00 AM Simplicity: Harnessing fresh, seasonal flavors
10:00 AM-12:00 PM Lunch Preparation with Guided Instruction
12:00-1:00 PM Lunch
1:00-2:30 PM Decadence: Creating healthy desserts using allergen-free ingredients and natural sweeteners
2:30-4:00 PM Free Time
4:00-6:00 PM Dinner Preparation with Guided Instruction
6:00-7:00 PM Dinner
7:30-8:30 PM Menu Recap and Open Discussion

Sunday, June 14

7:30-8:00 AM Morning Salutations and Meditation
8:00-9:00 AM Breakfast
9:00 AM-10:00 AM Zest: Incorporating exciting flavors in daily cooking
10:00 AM-12:00 PM Lunch Preparation with Guided Instruction
12:00-1:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Checkout and Departure

Teacher

Chef Eytan Kurland

Eytan has nearly twenty years of professional cooking experience, with extensive expertise in healthy, vegetarian, farm-to-table cuisine. A world traveler, he has trained in spiritual and retreat centers around the globe, as well as on organic farms, in New York City restaurants, and in roles as a caterer and private chef. He is passionate about creating clean, nutritious food that is inventive, delicious, and deeply nourishing for an active life and spiritual practice. His work is consistently praised by Dharmakaya retreatants, and he credits his grandmother—herself a cooking instructor and gifted host—as a major inspiration.

Health and wellness in Pine Bush