One of my favorite annual charity events is The Nashville Food Project’s largest fundraiser, Nourish. Presented by Kroger, this year’s edition is scheduled for Thursday, July 18, at 5:30 p.m. at Marathon Music Works, located at 1402 Clinton St. With the new venue for this year, the evening promises to be bigger and better than ever.
After a cocktail hour, guests will enjoy a collaborative dinner prepared by an all-star team of chefs, including Julio Hernandez from Maiz de la Vida, Brian Lea and Leina Horii from Kisser, Colby Rasavong from Bad Idea, Vivek Surti from Tailor, Levon and Kim Wallace from Fat Belly Pretzel Bakery & Deli, and Andy Doubrava and Tiffani Ortiz, the upcoming chefs at The Catbird Seat. The meal will be paired with wines to perhaps loosen inhibitions before the live fundraising auction that is always lively. Keep in mind that this is a 21-plus event.
All proceeds from Nourish, including sponsorships, ticket sales and auction proceeds, will directly contribute to The Nashville Food Project’s mission to support urban agriculture programs, community meals initiatives and food recovery models to connect all Nashvillians with quality food.
Tickets for Nourish are $275 and are available now for purchase through the event website.
June marks the beginning of peak blueberry season, and if you’re a fan of the delicious berries, make plans to visit Highland Realm farm in Hampshire, Tenn., on June 15 for their annual Blueberry Festival. Owner Deanna Naddy planted almost 3,000 blueberry bushes in 2010 and has raised them using organic, biodynamic methods to produce some of the biggest and juiciest berries I’ve ever eaten. Just a couple of them would fill a whole muffin!
Naddy opens her farm for the festival to educate the public about her farming methods and offer the opportunity to pick and purchase her berries on-site. There will also be live music, crafts vendors, food trucks, a beer truck from Asgard Brewing Co. in Columbia and a baking contest. For a day of fun in the country, make your way down to Hampshire between 3 and 8 p.m. Admission is just $5, and kids 6 and under get in for free.
Smiley pizza at City House
Speaking of farms, for years chef Tandy Wilson and the culinary team at City House have depended on regional farms to provide the raw materials for the restaurant’s seasonal cuisine. To help draw attention to some of their favorite farmers, City House has put together a series of special take-and-bake pizza kits that would be a perfect way to put together a meal with little or no prep on your part.
Now, these pizzas aren’t cheap at $43 a pie or $150 for all four pizzas, but you’re getting City House’s legendary crust plus basically an entire CSA share’s worth of local farm-grown vegetables on top of your big Roman-style pizza. Here’s the lineup of participating farms and the planned pies for each of the next four months:
June 15: Troy Smiley with Smiley Hollow Farms; roasted zucchini, garlic, mozzarella, Parmesan, mint pesto, goat's milk ricotta salata, chilis
July 20: Eric Woolridge with Bells Bend Farm; vine-ripe sliced tomato, cheesy mayo, garlic, black pepper, lemon, Parmesan, buttermilk cheddar, chili oil
Aug. 17: Cam Conry with Conry Farms; sweet corn, jalapeño crema, fresh chilis, parsley, buttermilk cheddar
Sept. 7: Julie and Jim Vaughn, Rocky Glade Farm; sweet peppers, fennel sausage, tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, mozzarella, Parmesan
You’ll need to preorder your pizzas in advance from City House’s online store, and sales will close a couple of days before the pies are available to pick up between 1 and 9 p.m. on the dates listed above.
