Chef Jeff Carter, The 2nd Appalachian Homecoming, Pesto Festo, Slow Food TN Valley.

S11:E31.7/27/2024

The 2nd Annual Appalachian Homecoming celebrates Modern Appalachian Cuisine, Music, and Art. August 1-4. My guest, Chef Jeff Carter, Executive Chef with Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro talks about the 2nd Annual Appalachian Homecoming. Including:

• Jim Lauderdale and the Po Ramblin’ Boys and Dinner on August 1st at Dancing Bear, Townsend.
• Bacon at the Brewery Dinner with Darrell and Allan Benton of Bentons Smoky Mountain Cured Hams, Chef Jeff Carter of Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro, Chef Trevor Stockton of RT Lodge, Chef David Rule of The Appalachian at the Peaceful Side Brewery, Maryville August 2nd.
• Appalachian Homecoming August 3rd at Dancing Bear beginning at 9:00 am with Panelists, Chefs, and an Appalachian Lunch followed by immersive workshops in foraging, art, mountain craft, and music.
• Bluegrass Brunch, August 4th.
• Ending with the 15th Annual Pesto Festo benefitting Slow Food TN Valley Sunday evening at Dancing Bear. All events are ticketed https://dancingbearlodge.com/event/appalachian-homecoming-2024/ for more information.

Links:

2nd Annual Appalachian Homecoming - https://dancingbearlodge.com/event/appalachian-homecoming-2024/

15th annual Pesto Festo Benefitting Slow Food Tennessee Valley - https://dancingbearlodge.com/event/appalachian-homecoming-2024-sunday/

Emi Sunshine ( Sang our theme song when she was 9-years-old) - https://www.theemisunshine.com/

Chef Jeff Carter, Executive Chef, Oldham Hospitality including Dancing Bear Appalachian Bistro

Slow Food TN Valley, Four Daughters Farm, Cornbread Salad Recipe, Appalachian Homecoming

S10:E28. 7/15/2023

Slow Food TN Valley, Four Daughters Farm, Josh Lowans recipe for Cornbread Salad, Appalachian Homecoming at Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Bistro.

Today, we are setting the table with slow food. Food that takes time to grow and time to prepare. Guests today are Sarah Bush from Slow Food TN Valley, Rachel McCroskey of Four Daughter’s Farm of Walland, TN - and Josh Lowans with his wife Meagan’s recipe for cornbread salad.

Sarah will tell us about the international organization called Slow Food and the TN Valley Chapter of this organization - and Rachel McCroskey, a young farmer, will let us know about her family farm called Four Daughters Farm and how they farm. And Josh Lowans is also a farmer, forager, and a man of the woods - he works for Salubrious Farms in Walland, TN, and he walks us through how to make cornbread salad - with these tomatoes in season right now - it is the best time of the year to enjoy cornbread salad.

I also had some news about the upcoming Appalachian Homecoming event on the first weekend of August, with many farmers and chefs discussing modern Appalachian cuisine and farming.

Links:

Appalachian Homecoming at Dancing Bear Lodge and Appalachian Homecoming: https://dancingbearlodge.com/event/appalachian-homecoming-2023/

Slow Food TN Valley: https://slowfoodtnvalley.org/

Four Daughters Farm: https://fourdaughtersfarmtn.com/

Emi Sunshine (sang and musically arranged our theme song when she was 9-years-old!) https://theemisunshine.com/

Townsend TN: https://www.smokymountains.org/

Corn Bread Salad Recipe:

This recipe is one that Josh Lowans shared with Amy. His wife Megan makes this dish often for their family and the recipe comes from her.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 pan day old cornbread (Josh recommends using benton’s bacon lard rendered from an entire pound of Benton’s bacon. Megan prefers to use Three Rivers Cornmeal)
• 2 - 3 really ripe tomatoes, diced
• 1 can pinto beans drained, not rinsed
• Fresh corn cut off of the cob
• Shredded cheese of your choice
• Ranch dip (make your own with herbs of your choice, sour cream and mayonnaise)

To assemble, layer in this order:

• Crumble cornbread and place in bottom of serving container
• Layer pinto beans on top of the cornbread
• Layer cut corn over the beans
• Layers the diced tomatoes over the corn
• Layer of ranch dressing
• Layer of bacon (use Benton’s bacon if you can get it)
• Cheese on the top

Tips:

• Chill for 2 hours before serving.
• Don’t use ranch dressing, it is too runny, Josh Lowans recommends using ranch dip and making your own. He recommends to make it thick so the dish won’t make the dish soggy Looks pretty in a clear glass serving container

Sarah Bush and Tayler Franke, board members of Slow Food TN Valley. Photo: Amy Campbell 2022.

Farmer Rachel McCroskey Co-Owner of Four Daughters Farm, Walland, TN. Photo: Amy Campbell 2020.

Allan Benton’s Tennessee Prosciutto, made in Madisonville, Tennessee.

S10:E23. 06/10/2023

Allan Benton’s Tennessee Prosciutto, made in Madisonville, Tennessee.

On the show today, we are setting the table with Tennessee-made Country Ham or "Tennessee prosciutto." Our featured guest on the show today is Allan Benton of Madisonville, TN. Allan shares his story on how he learned what the word prosciutto meant and how he positioned his product to the world of fine dining. Allan's prosciutto goes toe to toe with some of the most expensive, well-known prosciuttos from all over the world.

From Radio Bristol's Farm and Fun Time show, recorded live from the Birthplace of Country Music, storyteller Tony Marr's heirloom recipe segment on Leftovers.

Links: Benton’s Smoky Mountain Country Hams: https://bentonscountryhams2.com

Dancing Bear Appalachian Homecoming Event: https://dancingbearlodge.com/store/appalachian-homecoming/

Radio Bristol’s Farm and Fun Time Program: https://birthplaceofcountrymusic.org/radio/programs/farm-and-fun-time/

Emi Sunshine sings our theme song: http://theemisunshine.com/