Have spent the last few months analyzing the organic/vegan foods market, been test-cooking and baking my brains out, come up with and adjusted recipes, and have now more or less decided what my most favorite organic vegan meals are (for now), and which I believe will be most popular with others.

I've visited every farm, store and wholesale distributor in the area to analyze where to get the best, but also most affordable ingredients. I've made food cost analyzes and determined that the more I can make from scratch - vegetable stock to bread and meal wrapping - will be beneficial and cut out unnecessary intermediaries.

I am frugal and compromise with a lot of things in life, but never with the quality of my food and the same goes with what I cook for others. But still, to be cost effective and not wasteful is something my first (fashion store) company eight years ago taught me (albeit a little too late in that particular case ;) In fact, it wasn't before we had sailed a couple years that I fully began to realize what an incredibly spendthrift person I have been. 

You live and you learn and I am glad to have gained the experience and consciousness that I have today. Things get more interesting when you are in control of every little cost, rather than having to feel anxiety for what your bookkeeper will confront you with on your monthly meeting.

I wish there was an organic food distributor in the Boston area, but haven't found any yet which is a shame. If only we could move the whole kitchen to Miami, LA or anywhere in the Med where fresh organic produce is readily available at any time of the year, or even grow most things myself, I think I would be able to cut costs additionally. Planting and gardening is something to think about here for next spring anyways. But on the other hand, this slightly more complicated process teaches me how to source and how to plan against the odds (limited market/demand etc). And the things I learn in this period of life and work will probably be of much help the day I do open a restaurant somewhere sunny and in a place more health oriented. A restaurant in New York wouldn't be too bad either, but I guess overhead and operation costs would be something absurd.

Above salad is a wonderful sort of energizing lunch that I've tried out on people around me. Nutritious health food packed with protein, fiber and vitamins. Consisting of fluffy red bulgur mixed with a homemade chickpea mixture that I minced like you would do with minced meat for tacos. It has garlic, onion and lots of herbs which brings salt and flavor to the meal. It has fresh crunchy English cucumber and red peppers tossed with it. Grilled, paper-thin savory portabello mushrooms on top. And finished with a lovely homemade vinaigrette. 

Do you think you'd like it?