The Townsend in the Smokies Fall Festival -Loving on people through food

S10:E37. 9/23/2023

The Townsend in the Smokies Fall Festival

Today, we are setting the table with loving people through food, loving on the honey bee, and news of an old-fashioned fall festival taking place Friday and Saturday, September 29, and 30th at the Townsend Visitor Center in Townsend, TN. This festival includes lots of Bluegrass music, old-fashioned southern food, vendors with honey, and a church group out of Morristown making and selling apple butter.

My guests are Jill Hepperley and her Mother Cheryl Free of Townsend, TN - Cheryl is an incredible Southern cook who opens her home every Sunday to the community for a good home-cooked meal. She and Jill reach people in dark places with biscuits and unconditional love. They will be serving up Beans and Hoe-Cakes (Pinto Beans and fried Cornbread) Fried Bologna, and Fried Apple Pies at the Townsend Fall Festival all for the greater good and I can’t wait for them to tell you about how they love on people through food.

We also visit with apiarists and owners of Smoky Ridge Apiaries, Judy and Coly O’Dell of Maryville TN. They are passionate about helping honey bees, and protecting honey bees, and freely give their time and expertise to help people set up hives and raise bees. They will also be set up at the Townsend Fall festival with their honey, Muddy Pond Sorghum, pollen, skincare, crafts, and more, and most importantly, a happy smile for everyone.

The Townsend in the Smokies Fall Festival takes place Sept. 29-30, 2023 from 10-11, both days. The festival provides an atmosphere where family and friends of all ages can partake in time-honored Appalachian traditions at a free community event. This event takes place in Townsend TN. at the Townsend Visitor’s Center. Crafts & Demonstrations: from 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Food: from 10 a.m.–6 p.m., and bluegrass Music: 11 a.m. With a play area for children, ax throwing, music pickers jamming, Fowler’s Country Ground Cornmeal, and a huge on list of vendors. Also the Bible Aires Baptist Church will be there making and selling Apple Butter, and Cheryl and Jill who you just heard from will be cooking Beans and Hoe-Cakes , Fried Bologna, and Fried Apple Pies. There is a shuttle service from multiple locations in Townsend on both days to alleviate parking congestion. More information: Smokymountains.org/townsend fall festival.

Links:

Townsend Fall Festival: https://www.smokymountains.org/townsendfallfestival/

RIO Townsend Links:

The Church where Amy recorded Cheryl Free and Jill Hepperly is Rio Townsend: https://riotownsend.com/

Rio Restore is the name of the particular fundraiser that the funds from the foods that they are cooking at the Fall Festival will be directly going to. They have a facebook page describing this particular mission: https://www.facebook.com/events/851391833018828/?ref=newsfeed

or by email: info@riorestore.org Or visit a local Rio Church in Blount Knox, Louden County

Smoky Ridge Apiaries: https://smokeyridgeapiaries.com/

Apple Butter, Bible Aires Baptist Church, Morristown TN: https://www.facebook.com/people/Bible-Aires-Baptist-Church/100064721914706/

Jay Tipton: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0q8mXYAIk8

Blue Ribbon Country Fair: www.gsmheritagecenter.org

Emi Sunshine (sang our theme song at the age of 9!) https://theemisunshine.com/

Cheryl Free, her daughter Jill Hepperly and Daisy at Rio Townsned. They will be serving beans, hoe cakes, fried bologna, and friend apple pies at the Townsend in the Smokys Fall Festival September 29, and 30 as a fundraiser for their mission https://www.facebook.com/events/851391833018828/?ref=newsfeed . Photo: Amy Campbell.

Judy and Coley O’Dell, owners of Smoky Ridge Apiaries: https://smokeyridgeapiaries.com/ They will be selling honey, Muddy Pond Sorghum, and all of their related skin care and craft products at the Townsend in the Smokys Fall Festival. Photo: Amy Campbell.

The self-serve honey stand at Smoky Ridge Apiaries: https://smokeyridgeapiaries.com/

The Bible Aires Baptist Church from Morristown TN will be cooking and selling apple butter at the Townsend Fall Festival. https://www.facebook.com/people/Bible-Aires-Baptist-Church/100064721914706/

Jars of apple butter from Bible Aires Baptist Church, Morristown, TN. They will have this apple butter for sale at the Townsend Fall Festival. https://www.facebook.com/people/Bible-Aires-Baptist-Church/100064721914706/

Sorghum Syrup, an Appalachian Culinary Tradition

S9:E37. 10/22/2022

Sorghum Syrup, an Appalachian Culinary Tradition

Sorghum with Ronni Lundy, Fred Sauceman, Matt Gallagher & Mary “Dee Dee” Constantine. We are setting the table with Sorghum, an ancient African Grass adapted to the southern table, with a cast of characters including: Fred Sauceman shares a segment with Dr. Mike Fleenor, Sorghum Maker. Ronni Lundy, 2 x James Beard award-winning food writer on differences between Sorghum and molasses.

Mary “Dee Dee” Constantine shares a recipe for Butternut Squash and Apple Bake using a recipe from Ronni Lundy’s book “Sorghum Savor.”

Chef Matt Gallagher on the topic of biscuits and Sorghum butter.

Links: To purchase sorghum, made in Tennessee, look for Muddy Pond Sorghum at your local fruit stand, or from thier website: https://www.muddypondsorghum.com/

Fred Sauceman: https://www.facebook.com/fred.sauceman

Ronni Lundy: https://lisaekus.com/people/ronni-lundy/

Mary “Dee Dee” Constantine: @skilletsister

Chef Matt Gallagher https://www.instagram.com/emilia_knoxville/?hl=en Knoxville Chef Matt Gallaher of the former Knox Mason and Emilia Restaurants in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee.

A horse provides the power for the sorghum grass press at Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill, Monterey, Tennessee. https://www.muddypondsorghum.com/. Photo: Amy Campbell.

Apple butter in Appalachia

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S9:E34. 10/01/2022

Apple butter in Appalachia

Today, we are setting the table with a traditional food of Appalachia, “Apple Butter.” Each year in the fall time of the Mountain South, you can find pockets of people who get together and cook down bushels of apples, sugar, and sometimes cinnamon into this biscuit slathering favorite. It is one of those old-fashioned foods that is still a favorite on dinner tables near and far and makes a favorite holiday gift. Almost as important as the final product is the sense of community and preservation of culinary traditions that these “Apple Butter makings” preserve. Our featured guest is Derek Blankenship, an Occupational Therapist at an East Tennessee long-term health and health care facility in East Tennessee. Derrick and his family keep a family tradition of making apple butter each year at this time of the year in Fall Branch, TN. The recipe that they use dates back to 1905. Fred Sauceman - Professor of Appalachian Studies, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee, with an audio essay on apple butter in the mountain south and sausage balls with apple butter.

Links:

Fred Sauceman: -https://www.facebook.com/fred.sauceman?fref=ts

Fall Branch Volunteer Fire Department: https://fallbranchvfd.org/

Tennessee Apple Butter Making in Appalachia

Season 8, Episode 34. September 11, 2021.

Tennessee Apple Butter Making in Appalachia

Today, we are setting the table with a traditional food of Appalachia “Apple Butter”. Each year in the fall time of the Mountain South, you can find pockets of people who get together, and cook down bushels of apples, sugar and sometimes cinnamon into this biscuit slathering favorite. It is one of those old fashioned foods that is still a favorite on dinner tables near and far, and makes a favorite gift for the holidays. Almost as important as the final product is the sense of community and preservation of culinary traditions that these “Apple Butter makings” preserve.

Our featured guest is Derek Blankenship who is an Orthapedic Therapist at an East, Tennessee long term health and heath care facility in East Tennessee. Derrick and his family keep a family tradition of making apple butter each year at this time of the year in Fall Branch, TN. The recipe that they use dates back to 1905.

Fred Sauceman - Professor of Appalachian Studies, ETSU, Johnson City, Tennessee with a 
And also Amy shares a recipe for “Apple Butter Pork Roast” by way of “All Recipes”.

And I (Amy Campbell) also share a recipe for “Apple Butter Pork Roast”, and Fred Sauceman shares a segment of Apple Butter making in the Mountain South, and a recipe for sausage balls with apple butter.

Links:

Fred Sauceman: -https://www.facebook.com/fred.sauceman?fref=ts

Fall Branch Volunteer Fire Department: https://fallbranchvfd.org/

Apple Butter Pork Roast Recipe

Serves 6, Cook time: 3 hours, Prep time: 15 minutes

This recipe was found on the website: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/60492/apple-butter-pork-loin/

Ingredients:

• 2, 2 pound boneless pork loin roast (for a total of 4 pounds).
• Seasoning salt to taste
• 2 cups apple juice
• 1/2 cup apple butter
• 1/4 c brown sugar
• 2 Tb water1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves


Step 1: Preheat oven to 350

Step 2: Season the pork loins with seasoning salt, and place them in a 9x13 inch baking dish or small roasting pan. Pour apple juice over the pork, and cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.

Step 3: Bake for 1 hour in the preheated oven. While the pork is roasting, mix together the apple butter, brown sugar, water, cinnamon, and cloves. Remove pork roasts from the oven, and spread with apple butter mixture.

Step 4: Cover, and return to the oven for 2 hours, or until fork-tender.

Derrick Blankenship’s whole family is involved with the canning of the Apple Butter.

Derek Blankenship and daughter making apple butter.

Canning the Apple Butter is a family event.