One of the greatest pleasures of living where I do is having Marti Emch as a neighbor. Marti was a muse from the minute we met outside of her beautiful, restored log cabin across the street. Over the years, Marti has continually inspired me with the intention and authenticity with which she lives. She seems to thread integrity, adventure and good taste into everything she does from parenting to preparing nourishing meals through her business MEEL to planning exotic trips to the most remote corners of the world for her family each Spring.

I have watched Marti grow MEEL from the ground up over the past 6 years with an incredible eye for detail and a deep commitment to reconnecting people to their local food systems. On our walks, she raves about a certain farmer's Meyer Lemons or late season greens, the local baker that she has recently discovered or the milk tea that she tasted in Bhutan and is currently recreating in her kitchen. Marti understands and loves sharing the nourishment for both body and soul that comes from eating locally, seasonally and organically and MEEL exists to bring this simple luxury to Nashville.

Steep some tea and join me in conversation with Marti Emch! I hope that you will find as much enlightenment and encouragement in her words as I do and that you will find some time to experience her morning Matcha ritual and my favorite of her nourishing soup recipes below.

Me: I know that MEEL is so much more than a business. It is a labor of love. What inspired you to start it?

Marti: I think it really all goes back to being a mom. I’ve been passionate and idealistic about good food for most of my adult life but it wasn’t until having children that I was inspired to really shift the focus of my professional life, away from pushing product-and-brand-centered consumerism in advertising and marketing to a more fundamental (and essential) local food consumption.

When my children were young (4!), I wanted them to become more connected to our local food community at large. This felt fundamental to me. We were part of one of Nashville’s first CSA’s and were dutifully picking up our share from week to week at the Nashville Farmers Market but even that didn’t feel like enough as I saw the looming battle ahead… the battle of candy, chicken nuggets, and Zoe’s. I wanted their “normal” to look different than what they were seeing as they learned more about the world each day.

We started a “family food project,”making organic granola and raw, grain-free cookies to sell at the 12 South Farmers Market. During those years, we spent every Tuesday afternoon setting up our booth and being part of that very small food community in Sevier Park. The more I talked to people and observed, the more I realized that it was only a small percentage of people that really knew how to engage in supporting the farm vendors at the market.

I noticed customers buying hoards of fruit (peaches, berries, apples, etc…) and lots of sugary lemonade, but not so much the bulk of the nutrition that was available. I also recognized wholeheartedly the amount of time that it takes to meal plan around a CSA share and while I find enjoyment in that process, I knew I was in the minority with that task. So many people don’t enjoy cooking, let alone having to cook around the daikon or cabbage they may have received that week in their basket.

So MEEL was really born out of taking a personal hobby, something I loved doing and was fairly good at, and offering that service to other families, in hopes that the community and the world would be a healthier place for my children as they navigated their own food choices.

Me: What is the mission of MEEL?

Marti: To help promote a healthy, sustainable food culture, to grow the Middle Tennessee foodshed, and to build community around the table.

Me: Why is local, organic food and cooking so important?

Marti: Food is a common language that we all speak, universal and fundamental to our existence. The preparation of food is an essential life skill that unites people and cultures. It connects us to our past and to our own heritage. It nourishes our souls. People around the world have been “eating local” since the beginning of time. Take a peek at any backyard or hillside in most parts of the world and you will find chickens foraging, rows of leafy greens growing, chiles drying in windowsills, and a pot of water simmering over a stove or fire. In most developing nations, life is centered around the “harvest,”whether that be a rice harvest, a wheat harvest, or a tea harvest. It’s the way things have always been done, tried and true. While we are fortunate to have many options that ease this existence, industrial food no doubt has its own share of pitfalls, namely our declining overall health as a culture.

Me: Do you have a favorite quote or words to share around living close to the earth or the work that you do?

Marti: “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.” -J.R.R. Tolkien

Me: I have loved hearing about your morning Matcha ritual and both the detail and simplicity with which you approach it. What does this look like?

Marti: Sifted green tea, a rustic unglazed bowl, and a chasen/whisk made of bamboo… they each remind me of my love for faraway places. I’ve been to Tokyo in transit but have never truly experienced the Japanese terroir except in my daily matcha bowl! But it is no doubt on the list. I thrive on the discovery of unfamiliar tastes, sights, sounds, and tactile sensations…. they fuel my love for travel and I try to incorporate those discoveries and memories into daily life wherever possible.

Me: How can I recreate your matcha experience at home?

Marti: The nut milk recipe is a very loose recipe, one I learned in passing from Hannah Burch and Burch Milk. I call it the lazy cook’s nut milk since cashews are the only nut that doesn’t really require a nut milk bag. They barely require soaking!

Marti’s Matcha Ritual

I like to whisk a few scoops of sifted culinary grade matcha with 2 tablespoons of hot water. Once the powder has fully blended, I then add warmed or frothed nut milk to taste.

Light a candle or build a fire (or both!) and drink slowly from the bowl. Let the Zen take hold, if only for a fleeting moment.