“Pesto” is usually synonymous with “basil,” but you can use the same basic method — pounding herbs, nuts, and other aromatics together with oil — to play with flavor. What's in your garden this week? Make it a pesto!

This juice is exactly as it sounds, and so much like an experience here at Esalen...it's all the things and will have you feeling balanced, grounded and vital.

A fruit panzanella takes the same mix of bread, fresh produce, and acid used to create traditional savory panzanella and turns it into something that’s great for breakfast, an afternoon snack, or dessert. For this version, we macerate blackberries with honey, freshly-squeezed orange juice, and white balsamic; vinegar highlights and punches up the berry flavor.

It’s hard to go wrong with flavor combinations when you pair things that come into season together, like early spring’s pea shoots and asparagus bolstered with the last of winter’s citrus. This salad is spring green on a plate, with a delightful mix of flavors and textures — acidic citrus, bright mint, sweet peas, crunchy nuts, tender asparagus — that elevate it beyond an everyday salad.

This divinely sweet “grown-up” orange juice is packed with minerals, nutrients and enzymes to keep your immune system healthy.

5 cups (2.5 lbs.) butter, softened 3 1/3 cups light brown sugar, packed 10 eggs 5 tsp vanilla extract 7 ½ cups all-purpose flour 5 tsp baking soda 5 tsp ground cinnamon 2 1/2 teaspoons salt 15 cups rolled oats 7 ½ cups raisins 5 cups walnuts, chopped (optional)

1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp baking soda Pinch of salt 1 cup plus ¼ cups sugar, divided 1 egg 1 Tbs unsalted butter, at room temp, plus 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter ¼ cup apricot jelly 1 cup milk 1 tsp white vinegar 1 tsp vanilla extract 1 cup evaporated milk Whipped cream (optional)

1 onion 1 Tbs. Thai red curry paste 1 bunch spinach 1 can coconut milk 1 cup cooked jasmine rice 2 cups shelled green peas (fresh or frozen) Salt and pepper to taste

1 large celery root, peeled and thoroughly rinsed ¼ cup flour 1 large egg, beaten 1 ½ cups fresh bread crumbs Pinch each of paprika, thyme, salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic powder and onion powder 1/3 cup grated pecorino romano cheese Extra virgin olive oil Handful of chopped parsley 2 lemons, halved

2 small delicata squash, cut in half lengthwise, seeds removed 1 Tbsp. olive oil ¼ cup minced shallots 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 4 Tbsp. pecans 4 Tbsp. walnuts 4 Tbsp. pumpkin seeds 4 Tbsp. dried cranberries 4 Tbsp. golden raisins 1 tsp. crystallized ginger, finely chopped 1 tsp. sugar pinch of ground cinnamon pinch of ground nutmeg pinch of ground coriander pinch of ground cardamom salt

4 cups corn flour 1/2 lb. softened, room temperature butter 2 cups sugar 2 eggs 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup (up to 1 cup) of water, milk or orange juice

Polenta is easy to cook and a great canvas for all kinds of flavors. This version is rich with herbs, but you could substitute your favorite spices, add cheese, stir in some sauteed mushrooms or spinach — the possibilities are limitless. 

Ingredients 1 large head of Napa cabbage, whole or sliced into ½ inch slices 1 large bunch of scallions, cut into 1 inch lengths 1 cup of sea salt 1 gallon of filtered water Spice Paste 1 large handful of shallots 1 large piece of ginger, peeled Several cloves of garlic Lots of Korean red chili powder

4 cups all purpose flour 3/4 tsp salt 4 Tbsp baking powder 4 eggs 3/4 cup vegetable or rice oil 3 cups buttermilk 1 cup water

Ingredients 2 cups quinoa 5 cups water 1 generous handful kale, chard or spinach Kale Dressing 1/3 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice 1/3 cup olive oil 1?2 medium-sized red onion, fine julienne

8 small corn tortillas 1 pint-sized container of Padron peppers 4 big squash blossoms Handful of sliced button mushrooms 1 cup queso fresco cheese 2 limes, halved Olive oil High-quality sea salt

1 large head cauliflower, cut into small florets 4 tomatoes, seeds mostly removed, sliced into eighths 1 green bell pepper, thinly sliced 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced 1-2 Jalapeño peppers, seeded and thinly sliced White wine vinegar, to taste Sea salt, to taste Olive oil, to taste Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

4 lb Mary’s Organic Whole Chicken, without giblet sack (if provided, remove from cavity) 4 garlic cloves, whole & peeled 3 sprigs Esalen Farm fresh rosemary sprig 3 sprigs Esalen Farm fresh thyme sprig 1 Esalen Farm Meyer lemon, cut in half Salt, minimal amount Pepper, to taste

Nutty notes ensure this Esalen favorite has layers of deep flavor. Light but warm and nourishing, it's vegan and gluten free and made mostly of pantry staples. 

Ingredients Assorted peppers- bell peppers, banana peppers, Anaheims, jalepeños, serranos, whatever you’ve got (although padrones don’t pickle well, so don’t include them in this recipe) Sherry vinegar, or whatever vinegar you like Fresh garlic Whole black peppercorns Sea salt Sugar Other ingredients for flavor, like bay leaves, coriander seed, cumin, mustard seeds, curry powder etc. Equipment 1 or more Mason jars, with lids, large enough to hold your peppers 1 to 2 quart measuring pitcher 1 saucepan/stockpot to heat liquid