A few months ago I was hired to be the executive chef of a restaurant being built this year.
The idea of getting input into the kitchen design and layout excited me.
The ability to work with something so fresh and clean is what aspiring chefs dream of while getting verbally abused by a French chef instructor (thank you, Chef Patrice).
I envisioned glass columns housing suspended charcuterie, walk-in fridges devoted to dough... and then it hit me: "This is it," I thought to myself. "This could be my chance to finally create a self-sustaining restaurant."
I had tried it before. I spent months coddling seedlings and raising them up.
I converted the entire rooftop of the restaurant into a little oasis complete with a modified greenhouse. I was two weeks away from harvest when the rug was pulled out from under me. We were closing in a week and I would not see my garden in all its glory. The restaurant closing was tough to take, but restaurants close quite frequently due to varying issues.
It's a cutthroat industry.
My garden, on the other hand, was another beast. I had picked the seeds, planted and nurtured them and all I wanted to do was put them on the menu.
But alas it was not in the plans and now I was left asking "what if" like a teen crushed by a first love.
Lucky for me another walked in.
I approached the owners with some ideas on how we could achieve this dream of mine and they were enthusiastically on board. Game on, Wayne!
I researched growing indoors and decided a system using a $19.99 clip lamp from Canadian Tire, a Sun Blaster 60w bulb and tinfoil. Lots and lots of tinfoil.
I ventured to the garden store and selected basils, oregano, thyme, rosemary, fennel, sage, argula and San Marzano tomatoes.
As I nestled my little seed babies into their dirty beds I smiled to myself and thought "Holy crap, this might actually work."
We plan on operating the restaurant using mostly our own produce and purchasing from local farmers when needed. This means 300-plus dishes a day.
It's a daunting task, but with organization and the right equipment it's definitely achievable.
With the new restaurant we have plans for an entire walk-in closet committed to growing equipped with UV lights, a timed watering system and full ventilation and humidity control.
You need to start from the bottom to truly appreciate a lavish lifestyle though, so for now I'm just fine with my tinfoil box.
