Cravings: In Good Company

Take a bite out of this pesto chicken salad.

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For Courtney McKay, community is everything. “It’s how I got my start with my business when I moved here five years ago,” she explains. “I was cooking for friends, they’d refer me to other friends, and that led to me opening a private chef company in 2019.”

Later that year, when her favorite local cheese monger, Follow Me Cheese, let her know they were leaving their space in the Shoppes at Fatherland, McKay jumped at the opportunity to expand her offerings with her aptly named shop, In Good Company. From the tornado to COVID-19, IGC’s first year was rife with challenges, but McKay stresses that being “in good company” literally got her through. “It really is all about the company you keep, and my East Nashville community really came together when everything hit.” IGC shifted to a relief center, partnering with Hands on Nashville, to help fuel the clean-up crews and feed displaced families in the tornado’s wake. Then COVID-19 quickly followed, keeping customers out of her shop, so she pivoted once again, providing refrigerator and freezer take-away meals, scrumptious sweets, and family-friendly pizza kits to nourish her neighborhood. McKay is busy working on a new concept, IGC Local Pantry: a full market, complete with a bakery, grab-and-go foods, homemade ice cream, coffee, catering and more. There’s even a guest chef’s night in the works. Until then, you can stop by the Fatherland shop for your springtime staples, like this herby, picnic-ready pesto chicken salad — or give it a try at home. 

Pesto Chicken Salad

Nut-Free Pesto

  • 3 garlic cloves
  • 2 cups basil
  • 1⁄2 cup shredded parmesan
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1⁄2 cup olive oil
  • 3-5 organic chicken breasts
  • 1 cup Duke’s Mayonnaise
  • 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 6 garlic clovesSalt and pepper
  1. Boil the chicken breasts in water with three tablespoons of lemon, salt, pepper and three garlic cloves.
  2. While the chicken is boiling, make the pesto by pulsing ingredients in a food processor, starting with the garlic and ending with the oil.
  3. Let the chicken cool completely, then shred it and mix it together with the pesto and Duke’s Mayo, using a KitchenAid with the paddle attachment.
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste.