Hyun Martin

My signature dish is “Salads to Live By,” created during my 50-pound health transformation journey. Inspired by my Korean roots, garden harvests, and belief that food is love, each salad is layered with vibrant colors, edible flowers, fresh herbs, textures, and healing ingredients. No two are ever the same. Every bowl celebrates abundance, nourishment, and the joy of eating food that feeds both body and soul.

My culinary inspiration comes from my biological parents. When they came to America in 1972, they brought seeds of Asian vegetables and built a life through food and hard work. Together they grew peppers, napa cabbage, minari, and chamoe, selling them to nearby Asian grocery stores. They made rice cakes, mandu, steamed red bean buns, kimchi, sun-dried peppers, and acorn muk. They taught me that food is love, resilience, culture, and community.

I would use the $25,000 to restore my 2005 Ford Econoline and create a tunnel garden so I can grow food year-round. My dream is to build Cedar Mountain Living and bring “Salads to Live By,” kimchi, fermented foods, and handcrafted flavored vinegars to farmers markets throughout the DMV and Charlottesville. This would help me create a sustainable farm-to-table business rooted in healing food, community, and sharing abundance with others.