THE SUPPER CLUB
Daffodil Projects aims to study the history and ecology of migration patterns in and out of the American South, centered around the Natchez Trace, an old buffalo trail turned trading route that was originally used by several Native American groups to trade goods from the mouth of the Mississippi River to the Cumberland Plateau. The route continued to be used by settlers, and was one of the largest trade arteries in the United States until the mid 19th century.
The name Daffodil Projects, comes from the Historic Daffodil Project at Old Town, a patch of daffodils planted in the 1940s beside the Natchez Trace in Franklin, Tennessee by my great great grandmother, Virginia Puryear Goodpasture. Daffodil Projects aims to use southern techniques, in combination with techniques from other cultures that utilize those same ingredients.
It is our goal to create a map through food that shows the movement of ingredients and peoples to and from the South.
SOURCING & SUSTAINABILITY
Daffodil Projects aims to support local businesses. Currently based in the Bay Area, we are doing everything we can to support local, independent businesses. As much as possible, we source ingredients and equipment. This includes local farms, purveyors, and artisans.
We also feel a responsibility to support the communities that inspire us, so we also source from as many southern small businesses as possible. This helps economically support the local artisans in the southeastern United States, especially in communities which have been historically disenfranchised.
THE CHEF
Born in Berkeley, CA, Natchez Lee fell in love with cooking at a very young age. During their time at Willard Middle School, they participated in the first and second years of the Growing Leaders Program, an elective which utilized ingredients grown by students to sell meals to the community cooked by students.
After graduating high school in June of 2020, they soon began similarly selling meals to neighbors, before working in several kitchens in Oakland. In 2022 they packed up and moved to Nashville, TN, where they worked in two restaurants, Etch and Henrietta Red.
In 2024, they decided to move back to Berkeley, and have been working as a Chef de Partie at Merchant Roots in San Francisco, as well as staging at several restaurants throughout the Bay Area.
