Upscale Mediterranean meal prep for a discerning client. Sixteen meals per week, hand-prepared off-site and delivered fresh on Mondays and Thursdays — labeled, sequenced, and ready for the table.
Crisp-skin center-cut salmon finished with a warm shallot, caper and brown-butter pan sauce. Served over roasted vegetable farro with a charred lemon cheek. Built to travel and reheat luminously in oven-safe glass — a Monday signature.
Each container labeled with day, service, reheat instructions, and best-by date. Frozen items packed with insulated freezer block.
Two cook-and-deliver cycles bookending each other — Saturday plan, Sunday prep, Monday execute, Wednesday prep, Thursday execute.
| Day | Activity | Hours | Window |
|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday | Menu confirmation, client approval, shopping list build | 2.0 | 9–11 AM |
| Sunday | Shopping run 1 — produce, fish, butcher, dairy, pantry | 3.0 | 9 AM–12 PM |
| Sunday | Prep block 1 — brines, marinades, sauces, dressings, grains, vegetable mise | 5.0 | 1–6 PM |
| Monday | Execute Delivery 1 — roast, sear, plate, label, pack | 5.0 | 6–11 AM |
| Monday | Pack & deliver | 1.5 | 11 AM–12:30 PM |
| Tuesday | Admin · kitchen reset · receipts · ideation | 1.5 | Flexible |
| Wednesday | Shopping run 2 — produce refresh, lamb, branzino, smoked salmon, deli | 2.5 | 9–11:30 AM |
| Wednesday | Prep block 2 — tagine, moussaka, caponata, soup base, dressings | 4.5 | 1–5:30 PM |
| Thursday | Execute Delivery 2 — assemble, finish, plate, label, pack | 5.5 | 5:30–11 AM |
| Thursday | Pack & deliver | 1.5 | 12–1:30 PM |
| Friday | Equipment maintenance, deep clean, inventory, weekly P&L | 1.5 | Flexible |
| Total chef hours per week | ~32 hrs | ||
Two weekly runs plus a standing pantry audit. Sourced for quality — barrel-aged feta, single-origin olive oil, fishmonger relationships.
Premium single-origin EVOO, red wine vinegar, sherry vinegar, balsamic glaze, preserved lemons.
Maldon salt, Greek oregano, smoked paprika, cumin, coriander, cinnamon, saffron threads, sumac, Aleppo pepper, harissa, bay, thyme.
Farro, orzo, pearl couscous, fine semolina, arborio, rolled oats, San Marzanos, oil-packed anchovies, salt-packed capers, pine nuts, pistachios, slivered almonds, walnuts, dried apricots, fig jam, thyme honey.
Mixed berries, lemons (8), oranges (3), parsley, dill, mint, thyme, rosemary, garlic, yellow + red onions, shallots, Romas, cherry tomatoes, red bell peppers, eggplant, zucchini, carrots, celery, butternut squash, butter lettuce, arugula, baby spinach, seasonal fruit.
Center-cut salmon (8 oz), whole organic chicken (3.5 lb), free-range eggs (2 doz).
Full-fat Greek yogurt, heavy cream, unsalted butter, Parmigiano Reggiano, fresh mozzarella, barrel-aged feta in brine.
English cucumbers (4), vine tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red onion, garlic, lemons (5), parsley, dill, mint, cilantro, oregano, basil, fresh figs, haricots verts, fingerling potatoes, niçoise + kalamata + Castelvetrano olives, eggplant (3), red pepper, melon.
Whole branzino (scaled & gutted), ground lamb (1.5 lb), boneless lamb shoulder (1.5 lb), oil-packed Spanish tuna, premium cold-smoked salmon (4 oz).
Fresh ricotta (cheese shop), whole milk for béchamel, feta refresh, yogurt refresh.
Two prep blocks per week, sequenced so finishing happens hot on delivery mornings while flavors deepen overnight.
Restaurant-grade cooking and food-safe packaging — every container labeled, every cold chain held.
Half-sheet pans (4), quarter sheet pans (4), 7 qt Dutch oven, covered braiser or tagine, 10″ carbon-steel skillet, 12″ nonstick, stockpot, saucier, immersion blender, stand blender, food processor, mandoline, fish tweezers, Thermapen, digital scale, microplane, mortar & pestle, butcher's twine, parchment, cheesecloth.
Oven-safe glass containers with snap lids — 16 oz / 24 oz / 32 oz (24 of each). Mason jars in 8/16/32 oz. Freezer-safe poly containers with airtight lids (8). Deli paper, vacuum sealer with bags, parchment portion sheets, food-safe waterproof labels and fine-tip Sharpies, silicone bands for sauce-jar separators.
Three large insulated catering totes (Cambro), two soft-side coolers, reusable ice packs (12), dedicated freezer tote with dry-ice-rated block for Thursday's frozen items, hand truck, cleanable cargo liner, contactless drop tray (optional), branded weekly menu card placed in the first tote of each delivery.
HACCP-aligned controls maintained across every cycle — temperature, timing, and chain of custody logged for every meal that leaves the kitchen.