6 minute read
Peachy Keen
The Peach Truck spreads sweetness around Nashville one peach at a time
Written by Melissa Mahanes / Photos by Bailee Mulder
When Stephen Rose moved to Nashville in the summer of 2010, he immediately recognized that something was missing—a delicious, juicy peach like the ones he grew up with in Fort Valley, Georgia. The 1400-acre Pearson Farm was only five miles from his childhood home and owned by family friends. So, beginning in 2012, Stephen and his new bride Jessica loaded up their 1964 Jeep Gladiator, now fondly known as The Peach Truck, with Pearson Farm peaches and brought the “best peaches in the country” to Nashville. And, with that, their business was born.
Jessica and Stephen sold their first peaches on 12 South outside Imogene + Willie and at local farmers’ markets. As Steven & Jessica’s family grew, so did The Peach Truck—they now have a presence in 60+ booths across Nashville, 25 state tours, nationwide shipping, and more. Jessica describes The Peach Truck as a labor of love for peach-hungry customers and the community. “Every single peach is thought about more than anyone knows,” she says.
We want to fulfill our promise of providing the best peaches and giving farm-to-porch produce, resources, and education to the community.
Since starting their company, The Roses have attracted a quarter of a million followers on social media and have delivered more than 4.5 million peaches to tens of thousands of customers in 48 states, making them one of the largest peach distributors in the world. With The Peach Truck Cookbook, the couple brings the lusciousness of the Georgia peach, the savory and sweet charms of Southern cooking, the story behind their success, and an insider’s guide to the Nashville food scene to readers everywhere.
The Peach Truck continues to sell outside the normal boundaries of fresh produce retail. And while you can find them at the Nashville Farmers’ Market, 12 South Farmers Market, and all markets in between, they also set up shop at restaurants (including The Juice Bar, Hattie B’s, and Martin’s Bar-B-Que) and local shops (including Flower Mart, Cindi Earl Fine Jewelry and, of course, Imogene + Willie), which truly integrates them into the community.
City House was their first restaurant partnership, and now you can find The Peach Truck’s peaches listed on menus at Husk, Pinewood Social, The Catbird Seat, The Wild Cow, Graze, Five Daughters Bakery, Marché, Margot, Burger Up, Lockeland Table and Dozen Bakery, to name a few.
“We want to have the best team, which we do; we want to have the best product, which we do. Now, we have to ask ourselves, ‘How do we go that extra mile for the customer?’” To that end, The Peach Truck continues to expand its business at every turn. Their website is home to mouthwatering peach recipes; they are taking peaches on the road to hit 126 stops in Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania with their Freestone Tour; they ship boxes filled with 13 hand-picked fresh Georgia peaches to out-of-towners across the country; they are educating people not only about peaches and their many varieties, but also the produce world at large; and, they will spend the off-season consulting with small businesses and sharing their experiences in building a successful company.
This summer, The Peach Truck will travel between more than 30 pop-up locations, so you only know where they’ll turn up if you visit thepeachtruck.com or follow along on Instagram for their locations and hours of operation: @thepeachtruck sl
The Peach Truck has four permanent locations where customers can purchase bags and boxes: Nashville Farmers Market, 900 Rosa L. Parks Boulevard Rivergate Summer Store, 1000 Rivergate Parkway Cool Springs Summer Store, 1925 Mallory Lane Green Hills Summer Store, 2126 Abbott Martin Road
PEACH PANZANELLA SALAD
Recipe courtesy of The Peach Truck Cookbook
Panzanella is beloved in its birthplace of Tuscany for its delicious simplicity. Leave it to juicy Georgia peaches to give this simple summer salad a tasty summer refresh! Typically made with grilled day-old bread and tomatoes tossed with a light vinaigrette with fresh basil leaves, this recipe swaps out peaches for tomatoes for a salad that’s perfect for summertime dinners and picnics. Salting and draining the peaches extracts delicious juice to use as the vinaigrette base. Stale, rustic bread holds up best in this recipe, but if you have fresh bread, you can dry it out a bit after slicing by placing it in a 200-degree oven for 15-20 minutes - or simply leaving it on the counter overnight.
Serves 8
8 fresh peaches
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 lb rustic sourdough or ciabatta loaf
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
2 medium garlic cloves
1 small shallot, minced (about 3 T)
2 T balsamic vinegar
½ tsp Dijon mustard
½ cup packed fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
Freshly-ground black pepper
Wash and pit the peaches. Cut into bite-sized pieces and place in a non-reactive mixing bowl. Toss the peaches with 2 tsp of kosher salt before transferring them to a colander and placing it inside the bowl to collect juices. Set aside to drain, tossing occasionally, while you prepare the remaining ingredients.
Preheat grill to medium-high. Slice the bread into 1-inch thick slices. Place garlic cloves on a cutting board and, using the broad side of a chef’s knife, press on the garlic to break them open a bit. Rub the slices of bread with the crushed garlic and brush lightly with olive oil. Discard garlic cloves. Place the slices of bread on your preheated grill and toast until both sides are lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the grill and tear into bite-sized chunks.
Remove the colander of peaches from the bowl of juice. Place the colander with peaches in the sink while you prepare the dressing. Add the shallots, vinegar, and Dijon to the bowl with the peach juice. Whisking vigorously, drizzle in the remaining olive oil.
Combine grilled bread, peaches, and dressing in a large bowl. Add the basil leaves and toss to combine before seasoning to taste with salt and freshly-ground pepper. Allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving, tossing occasionally, until the bread has absorbed all the dressing.
