The opening of Greens Restaurant on San Francisco Bay in 1979 forever changed the image and appreciation of vegetarian cooking in America. Known for a distinctive culinary style of celebrating vegetables, Greens produces ever-changing menus that are dedicated to the seasonal harvests of local farmers and the organic gardens of its farm, Green Gulch. Founding chef of Greens, Deborah Madison, a Zen student of eighteen years, and now one of America’s leading authorities on vegetables, opened Greens Restaurant with a commitment to ensure that every guest in the dining room would not miss eating meat. She creatively introduced unknown, at the time, varieties of vegetables on the menu: fingerling potatoes, golden beets, and even arugula. Originally opened as a part of the San Francisco Zen Center and inspired by the food and service offered at Tassajara Zen Mountain Center, the restaurant provided an opportunity for Zen students to extend their Buddhist practice into a workplace setting. For many years the only employees at Greens were Zen students. In the corner of the kitchen, on a spice shelf, sits a small altar to Chenrezig, the Buddha of compassion, where it has remained lit since opening day.