week-long cooking retreat

The ultimate exploration of plant-based cooking, community, and flavor

fully immersive culinary getaway

Each day, we journey to a different region of the world, exploring a rich variety of global cuisines

regional coooking

The Food Relationship Sessions

Mindful Movement

Beach Excursions

regional coooking The Food Relationship Sessions Mindful Movement Beach Excursions

What this week is all about

Throughout this week-long plant-based cooking retreat, we are stepping away from the hustle and bustle of our day-to-day routines to cultivate a mindful culinary experience; turning everyday cooking from a frantic chore into a calm, intentional practice that honors both your body and local ecosystems.

Our mornings will start with quiet, physical grounding - think yoga, breathwork, and walking meditations - before moving into efficient kitchen prep sessions focused on a specific culture’s culinary introduction. In the afternoons, we gather for collaborative, batch-cooking workshops designed to stock your home freezer and fridge with elevated, long-lasting staples, from fresh hand-rolled pasta and cheeses to traditional kimchi, empanadas, and stuffed grape leaves. We balance these highly practical, hands-on culinary skills with plenty of space to unplug, featuring late afternoons on the water for kayaking or paddleboarding, quiet tea and cacao ceremonies, and thoughtful discussions on intuitive eating and nutrition for your current stage of life. It is an educational, deeply nurturing week to learn, grow, and recharge, leaving you with a sophisticated approach to modern hosting, a kinder relationship with your body, and a fuss-free framework for conscious cooking that fits beautifully into your everyday routine.

What you’ll take away

By the end of this retreat, you will:

  • Understand how to choose plant-based ingredients and sourcing options that fill your pantry

  • Build the confidence to cook without a recipe, guided by the timeless principle: what grows together, goes together

  • Be able to create a variety of dishes from a shared set of ingredients

  • Be equipped with a number of reliable sauces, dressings, and marinades to keep flavors varied

  • Recognize how to build flavor using inspiration from different cuisines, while still cooking in a way that feels approachable at home

This is a 100% plant-based, plant-forward cooking retreat designed to show how abundant, flavorful, and practical a week of cooking with plants can be

This retreat is ideal if you:

  • Seek nourishing, plant-rich food that feels vibrant and intentional, without the friction of rigid meal plans

  • Value kitchen efficiency and want to effortlessly transform a small haul of high-quality ingredients into diverse, beautiful meals

  • Love the ease of prepping ahead, but prefer a flexible matrix of fresh components over identical, pre-portioned containers

  • Want to expand your culinary vocabulary with thoughtful global flavors that elevate your everyday weeknight routine

All levels are welcome; you’ll be guided step-by-step, with plenty of time for questions, tasting, and hands-on practice.

If you still have questions, considerations, or need additional information, email us at online@thegreenrestaurant.com

Sample Daily schedule

Here’s how a typical retreat day looks like. Everything on this schedule is completely optional, so feel free to make it as educational or as relaxing as you need them to be.

7:00 AM-7:45 AM — Light refreshments

  • Wake up at your leisure to prepare for the day

  • Juice, fruit, and other light refreshments available before the morning begins

8:00 AM-8:45 AM — Morning Movement

  • Yoga, walking meditation, breath work

9:00 AM–9:45 aM — Breakfast

  • Continental breakfast with a wide variety of options

  • Learn to narrow down your choices to craft something that is uniquely yours

10:00 AM–12:00 PM — Weekly prep: core ingredients

  • Every day has a different regional culinary focus:

    • Italian, French, Latin, Asian, Middle Eastern

  • Use ingredients typical for the region we are exploring to build authentic flavors:

    • Stocks, sauces, marinades, seasonings, vegetable prep

12:15–1:00 PM — Lunch: assemble & Taste

  • Build dishes that the cuisine of the day is known for

  • Sit down to eat what you’ve made, while we talk about:

    • Balancing flavor, texture, and satisfaction in plant-based lunches

    • Adjusting portions and components for different appetites and household members

1:00–1:45 PM — Personal Time

  • Pool, siesta, beach time, reading - anything that helps you to recharge your way

2:00–3:45 PM — Batch Cooking & Talk on relationships with food

  • Hands-on prep in a group setting creates a comfortable, relaxed space for deep conversation. Dive into key topics like emotional and social eating, cultural traditions, and learning to nourish yourself for the exact stage of life you’re in

  • Communal prep that reflects our region of focus for the day:

    • Italian: fresh pasta

    • French: cheeses and sauces

    • Asian: kimchi

    • Latin: empanadas

    • Middle Eastern: falafel, dolmas

4:00 PM — Afternoon Outing

  • Kayaking, paddle boarding, boating

6:00 PM-7:00 PM — dinner

  • Watch dinner come together in minutes using the ingredients you prepped earlier today

7:00 PM — Wrap-up, and next day

  • Review of the day: what you cooked, the techniques you used, and how to repeat them at home

  • Open Q&A about substitutions, kids or partner preferences, and how to make plant-based cooking feel sustainable long-term

Beyond the Kitchen

We have created time and opportunities for you to prioritize self-care, unwind, and build meaningful connections

  • Mornings start with mindful movement: gentle yoga, breath work, or beach walks to anchor your mind and body

  • In the course of the day, we dive into guided sessions exploring your relationship with food, intuitive eating, and practical nourish-mindset tools

  • During the week, there will be two afternoon coastal excursions: a scenic boat ride along the shore and kayaking

  • At night, we ground ourselves through intimate reflection practices, meditation, and tea ceremonies

This week-long retreat is built to be both restful and educational. By taking a full week to step away to reset and learn efficient, intuitive cooking habits, attendees completely transform their relationship with food preparation. The real benefits unfold after returning home: meal planning takes minutes instead of hours, cooking feels manageable rather than exhausting, and significant mental bandwidth is reclaimed. Designed specifically for anyone ready to trade daily kitchen stress for extra time, this retreat frees up energy for self-care, personal interests, or simply well-deserved rest.

Local residents (Wilmington, NC and surrounding areas) are welcome to participate in this retreat without housing accommodations as commuters at a significantly discounted rate. Please reach out to us directly at online@thegreenhouseschool.com

Week-Long Retreat Week-Long Retreat
Week-Long Retreat
$2,500.00

September 21st-25th, 2026

9AM-4PM

For a fully immersive culinary getaway, our week-long retreat offers the ultimate exploration of plant-based cooking, community, and flavor. Each day, we will explore a rich variety of global cuisines and traditional techniques. You will learn the art of intentional batch cooking: preparing time-intensive, flavor-packed staples to stock your freezer for months of effortless meals. Through daily practice and diverse menu variations, students will leave with the deep confidence to create elegant, nourishing dishes entirely from scratch.