Everyone loves to hang around the hearth. It's instinctual to gather where there is warmth. When we built the Foundation's Santa Barbara Retreat over 35 years ago, we knew we wanted to leave the kitchen open to the main living area as a place of warmth, gathering, inspiration, and education. The kitchen is the heartbeat of a home.

Over the arc of time we have been blessed with remarkable chefs at White Lotus. There is not a single program when someone doesn't announce that they are planning to take the chef home with them, or at the very least most dream to take their secrets and recipes. Aside from what my taste buds desire and our participants deserve, we believe the food we serve nourishes not only well being, but the imagination, and the heart and soul--nourishment on every level.

This rich seed sauce is a favorite go-to for our chef, Tamara Everett. She says you can feel guilt-free heaping it on roasted root veggies, whole grains, and earthy legumes. It's a delicious savory sauce inspired by My New Roots that is perfect for this time of year. The ginger and black pepper, high in cannabinoids, are good for their anti-inflammatory properties. The garlic is great for warding off winter colds and flus, and the pumpkin seeds, rich in zinc, are also great to keep the system strong this time of year. Most importantly, everyone loves a good sauce.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup sunflower seeds
2-3 cloves peeled garlic
1” chunk of peeled fresh ginger
3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
1 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
3/4 tsp. sea or pink salt
1/4 tsp. fresh black
pepper cayenne to taste
1 cup filtered water

Recipe:

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds on separate baking sheets to allow for different toasting and drying times. Toast. Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Add all seeds and remaining ingredients to a blender and blend on high until creamy. Add more water if necessary or to reach desired consistency.  Drizzle or heap on veggies, grains, etc. Enjoy.