A gourmet meal served in an elegant setting is one of life’s joys. An artisan farmer’s lovingly tended land is one of life’s inspirations. To bridge the two, Pick Tennessee, a nonprofit program of the Tennessee Department of Agriculture, helps us to live local even better by partnering our area’s artisan farmers with Music City’s restaurants.
One example is the No. 9 Farms—Marsh House partnership: the former is an organic farm in Ashland City; the latter, a seafood-focused restaurant in The Gulch at the hip Thompson hotel. At the Marsh House, if there’s produce on the plate, chances are it came from No. 9 Farms, a forty-acre farm where the Nashville basin meets the Highland Rim. (Think a little bit flat, and then a lot of bit hilly.) The force behind No. 9 is Stephanie and Brian Oaks, a married couple of 24 years. And their secret is in the soil. “Increasing biology in the soil provides readily available nutrients for plants, which in turn creates nutrient dense vegetables and herbs,” says Stephanie. “And nutrient dense food is flavorful food.”
And the proof is in the produce and the products. The Marsh House’s executive chef, Nathan Duensing, clearly puts the harvest of No. 9 Farms to tasty use. “Knowing what will be harvested,” he says, “inspires me to create dishes that showcase each season and its unique flavors.” One such example is the locally sourced trout on a bed of nettle pesto and peas. “Our nettle pesto tasted like spring,” Nathan comments, “like the weather is getting warmer and that green things are growing.”
Now that summer is here, Nathan is excited about No. 9 Farms’ crop of heirloom potatoes, Swedish fingerlings and other varieties. “The summer inspires me with thoughts of backyard cookouts,” Nathan says. “We’ll take the heirloom potatoes and make potato salad to accompany not just our octopus carpaccio, but a roasted spatchcock chicken, loaded with No. 9 Farms herbs and just the right amount of habanero heat.”
Find restaurants that use locally sourced foods with the free Pick TN mobile app. Click on “Restaurants.” Interested farmers ands chefs can learn more about the Farm and Restaurant Alliance and apply for the program at PickTnProducts.org in the “About Us” section.
No. 9 Farms
1403 Little Marrowbone Rd.
Ashland City, TN 37015
615-545-0925
no9farms.com
The Marsh House
401 11th Ave. South
Nashville, TN 37203
615-262-6001
marshhouserestaurant.com