Issue 14

Veggie Soup

• Ground venison or beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 medium potatoes, cubed
• 1 pound of mixed veggies
• 14 ounces canned tomatoes
• 1 can of red kidney beans
• Salt and pepper
• Spices to taste
• 4 cups of broth
• 3 cups of water
First, you will heat some oil and carmelize your onion. Then, add the ground
meat and cook. Add seasonings and salt. Add your broth and potatoes and
cook for 30 minutes. Add the vegetables and tomatoes and water and cook
for another 30 minutes at least. Serve with cornbread.

Meatloaf

• 2 Tbsp butter
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 celery rib, diced
• 1/2 apple, diced
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion, with ends
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2/3 cup tomato paste
• 2 pounds ground red meat. Beef is fine. A mix of half bear and

half venison is amazing.
• 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/4 corn meal
• 2 large eggs
• Fresh herbs
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cook the onions until soft. Add in
the celery, apple and garlic and cook for 4 minutes. Combine your
cooked mixture with the salt, pepper, 1/3 of the tomato paste, one
teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce, the bread crumbs, the corn meal
and 2 large eggs. Put in a baking tray and top with a mixture of 1/3 cup
of tomato paste, fresh herbs and one teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce.
Bake for 45 minutes and sprinkle with fresh herbs.

101

Chicken and Dumplings

• 1 chicken cut into pieces
• 1 onion
• 3 large carrots cut into quarters
• 3 stalks celery cut into quarters
• 6 cups chicken broth
• Salt & pepper or other simple spices

For dumplings:
• 2 cups flour plus extra for dusting
• 1/3 cup shortening
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 cup milk
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Additional Ingredients:
• 4 tablespoons cornstarch
• Parsley for garnish
Cook the chicken in a pot with the vegetables
and the chicken broth until the chicken is
very tender. This will take a little less than an
hour. While it is cooking, make the dumplings.
Mix flour (all but one quarter cup), baking
powder, salt and shortening with a fork until
shortening is well mixed. Add milk until dough
is soft. You may not need all of it. Knead the
dough then roll it out, sprinkling flour as
needed. When 1/8 of an inch thick, cut it into
2 inch pieces. Remove cooked chicken and
vegetables from the broth. Discard bones and
skin, save veggies for a side, and return the
chicken meat to the pot, followed by the raw
dumplings. Be gentle. Simmer 15-20 minutes.
You can add the cornstarch to thicken and
garnish with parsley, but neither of those
steps is required.

Macaroni and Cheese

• 3/4 pound macaroni pasta
• 1 stick of butter
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 2.5 cups of milk
• 2 cups of shredded cheddar

Topping Ingredients:
• 1 1/2 cups of panko or bread crumbs
• 4 tablespoons of melted butter
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
Cook the pasta one minute less than
recommended, drain and set aside. Make a
roux by melting the butter then slowly whisk
in the flour, salt and pepper. Stir for 4 minutes
or so until the roux turns darker. Whisk in
the milk and cook an additional 2 minutes.
Add the cheese and cook until melted. Pour
noodles into pan, stir in cheese sauce. Make
topping by combining topping ingredients
and sprinkle on top. Bake at 350 degrees for
102 20 minutes.

Collard Greens with Fatback

• A mess* (probably 2 pounds) of collard greens
• 5 strips of fatback
De-stem the collards then soak them in cold water. Stack about 4 or 5 leaves at a
time and roll them up like you are making sushi or a cigar. Cut the roll every
half inch or so, giving you strips. In your biggest pot, you need to render
the fatback. Cook it on high heat until it begins to melt. You could
also use hog jowl for this purpose but we like fatback. After it’s
melting well, fill the pot halfway with water. Bring this to a
boil then start adding your greens. They won’t all fit, so
let them cook down, then add more. Once it’s all in
there, season with salt and pepper, then bring it
to a boil once more. Then, simmer for 1.5 hours.
Serve with a splash of good vinegar.
*”Mess” as an amount generally means
whatever amount you need to feed your
family.

Sweet Potato Casserole

• 4 medium sized
sweet potatoes

• 1/2 stick unsalted
butter, melted

• 1/2 cup whole
milk or whipping
cream

• 1/3 cup maple
syrup

• Teaspoon
vanilla extract

• Sprinkle of
teaspoon
ground nutmeg

• Teaspoon of
salt

For Topping:
• 3 tablespoons

unsalted butter,
softened
• 1/4 cup packed
dark brown sugar
• 3/4 cup pecan, finely
chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon ground
cinnamon
• Pinch of fine salt
Bake the sweet potatoes in a 425
degree oven until soft. Reduce
heat to 350. Scoop sweet potatoes
out into a bowl. Add the butter, milk,
maple syrup, vanilla, nutmeg and whip it
together until it is creamy. Put the mixture
into your casserole dish. Mix together all of
the topping ingredients and spoon evenly on
top of your casserole. Bake for 30 minutes.

103

Rabbit Stew

• 1 rabbit, cut up into pieces.
• 2 medium onions, sliced in half, with skin

on for color
• 4 carrots, sliced
• 2 ribs of celery, sliced
• 1 whole garlic, separated into cloves
• Fresh thyme
• Bay leaf
• 4 cups of broth
• 4 cups white wine
• 1/2 cup of flour
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 stick of butter
Dredge rabbit in flour then salt and pepper it. Melt
the butter and gently brown the rabbit pieces.
Add celery, onion, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, bay
leaf, broth and wine then bring to a boil. Reduce
heat and simmer for two hours. Don’t rush it.
Add carrots and any other vegetables you’d like
to include, then cook for 30 more minutes. If you’d
like a thicker stew, mix 1/3 cup of cold water with
1/4 cup of flour until the lumps disappear, then
slowly stir this into your stew.

Roasted Radishes

• 1 bunch of radishes
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• Freshly chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 400. Slice your radishes
and coat them in olive oil and a bit of salt and
pepper. Roast them, face down in a pan. This
will likely take about 30 minutes, depending on
the size of the radishes. Sprinkle with freshly
chopped parsley and serve hot.

Lettuce Or Creasy Greens
with Green Onions

• 1 head of lettuce
• Small handful of green onions
• Bacon and grease
• 1/4 Cup of good vinegar
• 1 TBS of brown sugar
Cook bacon and set it aside to cool. Cut your
lettuce. Alternately, you can use creasy greens.
Cut up green onions and gently cook them in the
bacon grease. Once they are soft, add the vinegar
and brown sugar. Assemble the greens in a serving
bowl and crumble bacon into it. Pour the hot
oil mixture directly on the greens. They will wilt
slightly. Serve immediately. Always delicious, but
best when served with pinto beans and cornbread.
104

105

Boiled Peanuts

• 4 quarts of water
• 1/2 cup salt
• 2 pounds of raw (green)

peanuts
Boil 4 quarts of water with the salt, and
then add the green peanuts. Heat to
boiling again, then reduce heat and
maintain a simmering boil for about
2.5 hours, depending on how soft you
like them. You can soak in salt water
overnight to reduce the cooking time.
You can also add things like shrimp boil
seasoning to your water, but a simple
salt water boil will suffice.

Brussels Sprouts with
Bacon and Maple Syrup

• 1 pound Brussels sprouts,
trimmed

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 4 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-

inch pieces, cooked
• Bacon grease
• Salt
• Pepper
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and
coat your Brussels sprouts in bacon
grease, maple syrup and salt and
pepper. Stir the bacon into your mix
and bake for 45 minutes.

Pinto Beans

• 1 pound dried pinto beans
• 8 cups water
• 1 smoked ham hock or fat

back
• 3 chicken bouillon cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Salt
Soak your dry beans in water
overnight. Add all ingredients to a big
pot and cook on medium low for about
2 hours, or until soft. Remove the ham
hock, shred the meat, and return it to
the pot, if desired. Serve with onions or
chow chow and cornbread.
106

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107

2021 Sponsor of Carolina Bible Camp Bluegrass Festival and 2021 Sponsor of Merlefest Autograph Tent

Standard Deviled Eggs Add broccoli and cheese.
Add in capers, dill, and smoked salmon
• 6 eggs (plus a couple extra in case they Add buffalo sauce, Greek yogurt and black pepper.
don’t peel pretty) Stir in chicken and cheese. Top with hot sauce.
Add bleu cheese. Top with candied walnuts.
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise Add soy sauce and wasabi. Top with sesame seeds.
• 1 teaspoon white vinegar Add 1 tablespoon chopped basil, 1 teaspoon
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard mustard and the juice of 1/2 lemon then stir in 8
• 1/8 teaspoon salt ounces lump crabmeat.
• Pepper Add warm pulled pork and 2 tablespoons of BBQ
• Paprika sauce.
Hardboil the eggs. Carefully peel them and slice Instead of mayo, use hummus and plain yogurt.
them in half. Scoop out the yolks and mix with the Add sesame oil and top with sesame seeds.
mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper. Skip the mayo and add red bell pepper, broccoli,
Fill the egg whites with this mixture and sprinkle celery, carrot, scallion and parsley plus cream cheese.
with paprika. Add cheddar and sliced, pickled jalapenos. Top with
salsa.
From Scratch Deviled Eggs Add Ranch dressing and top with scallion.
Add anchovies and garlic cloves. Top with parsley.
• 13 eggs Add truffle oil, parsley, chives, tarragon, and chervil.
• 1 cup oil Top with a sprig of parsley.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt Mix onion dip and finely chopped chives or scallions
• 2 teaspoons mustard powder and top with fried onions.
• 2 Tablespoons of vinegar Mix in horseradish and extra mayonnaise and top
• Pepper with thinly sliced rare roast beef.
• Paprika
Hardboil 12 eggs. Carefully peel them and slice
them in half. Scoop out the yolks and reserve. In
food processor, place one raw egg, a splash of
your oil, salt, mustard powder and pepper. Blend
until it turns light then slowly add the rest of the
oil as you blend. Add vinegar at the end, blending
well. Mix this with your hard-boiled yolks then
scoop or squeeze from a bag into the whites of
the eggs.

Deviled Egg Variations

Sprinkle with hot sauce and poppy seeds (at right).

Add beet juice and sprinkle with paprika and sesame Tips
seeds (at right).

Add sriracha and fresh lime juice. Sprinkle with chili Peel your eggs under cold, running water.
powder.

Add pickle juice, sliced pickles, and a bit of dried dill to Use eggs that are at least a few days old.
your yolk mixture. Shock the eggs in cold water as soon as you take
Add fresh bacon, ground pepper and a tablespoon them out.
of fresh herbs. Garnish with fresh herbs. Add half a teaspoon of baking soda to your egg water
Use the same recipe for the eggs, but use any variation once it’s boiling. It will help the eggs peel easier.
of homemade mayonnaise. Our favorite for deviled It’s easiest to use an icing bag to fill the eggs in the
eggs is the bacon mayonnaise variation you can read final stages.
about in the mayonnaise article.

Use lemon juice instead of vinegar and add curry If you have an Instant Pot, this is when you want to
powder. use it. They make excellent boiled eggs.

Use fresh avocado instead of mayo. Garnish with It’s hard to mess this up, so give yourself creative
cilantro. license.

108

109

Spiced Pawpaw Cake

Cake Crumbs
• 2 cups all purpose flour • 1/3 cup leaf lard
• 1 tsp baking soda • 1/3 cup quick oats
• 1/2 tsp salt • 1/3 cup flour
• 1 tsp vanilla extract • 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup lard • 1/3 tsp cinnamon
• 3/4 cup brown sugar • 1/3 tsp salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2½ cups paw paw puree

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your Bundt pan. Melt the lard, then cool it to room temperature
and beat in the brown sugar, then the eggs. Beat well then add the vanilla and pawpaw puree. In a
separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda and salt and mix with the pawpaw mix. Don’t overmix. In
a small bowl, mix crumb ingredients. Pour the batter into your prepared Bundt pan and then top
with the crumb mixture. Bake between 60 and 90 minutes, or when a toothpick comes out clean.

• 1 cup of milk Pawpaw custard
• 1 cup of cream
• 3 eggs To your pureed pawpaw pulp, add milk, cream, sugar,
• 3/4 c. sugar egg and a tablespoon of allspice. Pour this into custard
• 1 pureed pawpaw pulp cups. Set those in a bread pan half-filled with water.
• 1 tablespoon of allspice Bake at 350 degrees until a toothpick comes out clean.

WHAT IS A PAWPAW?

It’s been called the American Custard Apple and the
West Virginia Banana. It’s a fruit that grows here
in the wild and it tastes like a mix of banana and
mango. They are packed with magnesium, copper,
zinc, iron, manganese, potassium, and phosphorus
and Vitamin C. While delicious, they don’t travel well,
and so they’ve never become popular in grocery
stores. When you can find some, grab them up!
They are delic1i1o0us chilled or in a cake like this one!

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classic car show – auction

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&BREWBREERWER 111

Banana Pudding with Meringue

• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a pot, combine the
• 1 1/2 cups sugar flour, sugar, and salt. Lightly beat the eggs and milk
• dash of salt together and add them to the pot. Heat over medium
• 3 large egg yolks until thick, stirring constantly. Add the vanilla once
• 3 cups of milk thick. In your serving dish, line the bottom with
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract vanilla wafers, then slices of banana, then 1/3 of
• 1 box vanilla wafers the mixture. Repeat these layers to top of pan.
• 6 bananas

• 3 egg whites reserved from above Whip the egg whites with cold beaters
• 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar on high speed. When it’s foamy, add
• 1/4 cup sugar the cream of tartar and slowly add
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract the sugar and vanilla. Spread this over
the pudding and bake for 25 minutes.

Ginger Molasses Cake

from Granny Eckard
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 egg beaten
• 1 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup applesauce
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 2 1/2 cups sifted flours
• 1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of vanilla
Cream butter, egg and applesauce. Sift dry
ingredients. Mix molasses with hot water. Add dry
ingredients alternately with the liquid, a little at a
time. Beat after last addition. Add vanilla. Bake at 350
degrees for 45 minutes and serve with applesauce.

Pumpkin Pie

• 12 cups pureed pumpkin
• 1 cup cream
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons pure cane syrup
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger

For Flaky Crust
• 2 1/2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup cold lard, cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup ice water
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons sugar
Whisk flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a
bowl. Cut in lard using a pastry blender. Stir vinegar
with ice water and drip this onto the flour mixture
until it’s all holds together. Roll this out, flatten and
fold over several times. Divide into two disks, wrap,
and refrigerate over night. In the morning, shape
these into pie crusts, and chill for 30 more minutes.
Preheat to 400 degrees. Put a piece of aluminum
foil and a pie weight or marbles and bake for 15
minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.
To make filling, combine all filling ingredients. Put
into pie pan cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 25
minutes. Uncover and add a plop of marshmallow
cream, bake for 10 minutes more.

113

Long before white men arrived on the continent, a great many Native American
nations worked the earth, and lived in harmony with the land. Western North
Carolina was home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and the Catawba
Indian Nation, among others. While each of these nations had very different
ways of living, many of them used the same method to grow corn, squash and
beans. This method was called “The Three Sisters,” and it offered many benefits
to the plants. The different groups have different stories that they tell about
the three sisters, like the following:

There were once three sisters who loved each other very much, and they
never wanted to be apart. They were each very different but they were only
happy when they were together. The oldest sister was tall and graceful. She
had golden hair and a pale green scarf, and her name was Corn. She loved
reaching up to greet the sun. The middle sister was curious, and she liked to
twine around her sister corn, like she was giving her a big hug. Her name was
Bean. Their youngest sister was still young and liked to crawl on the ground
around their feet. But she was very brave, and she protected her older sisters
from danger. Her name was Squash. On warm summer nights, the three
sisters would turn into young women who would dance in the starlight. All
farmers know of how much these sisters love each other, and so they are
always planted together.
When these three plants are planted together, they support each other in
concrete ways. The beans usually need to climb a pole as they grow, and the
stalk of the corn works nicely. The beans provide the corn with the nitrogen
they need. The squash provides cover for the ground which keeps it moist and
shaded, and pests tend to stay away when these three plants exist together.

114

To try the Three Sisters method yourself, follow these directions:

• In early June, create mounds of earth to plant in, and separate your mound centers
by about 4 feet. Each mound should be about a foot tall and two feet across.

• Into the center of each mound, plant 5 or 6 corn kernels in a circular pattern.
• After a week and a half or so, when the corn is about 5 inches tall, plant 7-8 pole

beans in a circle, about 6 inches larger than the corn seed circle.
• In a week, at the edge of your mound, plant 10 pumpkin seeds.
• Once the plants grow, weed out the weaker corn plants, keeping only one or two,

and also weed out the weak or small bean and squash plants.
• The beans should grow up the corn stalks, and the squash should provide ground cover.
• Enjoy your harvest!

115

The First
Strawberries

A Cherokee Tale

When time was new, the first man and the first woman lived together
next to a beautiful, flowing river. They had everything they needed
to be happy and safe, like plenty of meat, delicious berries, and
clean, fresh water. For a long time they were very happy together.

But then they began to quarrel. At first their arguments were small. The man
spoke crossly at his wife when she picked flowers instead of making dinner, and
this made her angry. As their arguments escalated, they grew more and more
annoyed with each other.

One day, after they had argued and thrown wooden spoons at each other, the
woman had had enough and she decided to leave their home. She woke early
and quietly walked away, toward the sun. She walked very quickly over the land,
never once looking back, because her anger was so fierce.

Her husband woke up and immediately noticed that she was gone, but he
thought she would come home, so he waited. But she didn’t come home, and
he was only wasting his time by waiting. He went to look for her, and he found
her tracks. He followed them all day, but she had been walking much longer than
he had, and he couldn’t catch up. He was terribly disheartened and he missed
his wife.

The sun was high in the sky now, looking down on both the husband and the
wife. He could see that there was great unhappiness, and he wanted to help.
The sun asked the man if he was still angry with his wife, and he replied that no,
he wasn’t. He only missed her. The sun asked if he would like to have her back,
and the man answered very adamantly that yes, he did. So the sun took pity on
the man and set out to help him.

As the woman walked along the path, the sun caused a huckleberry bush to
grow in her path, but she was very determined, and did not even notice. The
sun tried again, this time causing a blackberry bush full of plump berries to grow
next to her. But again, she did not even notice. So the sun decided he needed to

116

make something else-something to bright, fragrant and delicious that the woman
simply wouldn’t be able to ignore it. And then the first strawberries grew in her
path, right in front of her feet.
And she did notice! She picked one and was amazed at the sweet, juicy fruit.
Immediately, she forgot her anger and began to think of the sweetness of her
marriage. She looked down at the half eaten berry and the heart shape reminded
her of her love. She wanted her husband to try this new treasure! She stopped
walking and gathered as many strawberries as she could, so that she could bring
them home to her husband.
This allowed him time to catch up with her, and he found her picking the berries
with a smile on her face. He sat down quietly and smiled and she brought him
some strawberries. They both realized how great their love was and they went
home together, happy.

117

118





Strawberry Cake

• 1 box cake mix
• 1/2 cup strawberries (fresh or

frozen)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 box strawberry jello
• 1 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup strawberries
• 1/2 stick softened butter
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix
ingredients for cake and bake until
toothpick comes out clean. Let cool.
*Don’t add additional frozen strawberries.
It will make your cake will fall. When
cool, ice. To make your icing, beat the
powdered sugar, softened butter and 1/2
cup of strawberries until it looks good.

122

Eat in style

By Donna Steele

All chefs know a secret: presentation matters.

Eating doesn’t only involve your sense of
taste. It is an extremely sensory experience,
and chefs take advantage of this fact by
presenting their food beautifully and artfully.

Interior designers and event planners also
know how important presentation is, and
they can help you! In your own home, you
can enhance your dining experience by
thoughtfully selecting beautiful tableware.

The options are truly endless, so you’ll want
to think about the look you are trying to
capture. It’s a good idea to invest in dishes
and glassware that are a neutral color. It’s
easy to add color with flowers, linens and
centerpieces. Most dishes will fall into one
of these categories:
• Porcelain China-delicate, durable and upscale.
• Bone China-porcelain made with bone

powder. Lenox is a good example.
• Earthenware-affordable, glazed ceramics.
• Stoneware-more durable than earthenware.

Includes Fiesta and Pfaltzgraff.
• Melamine-these are plastic and virtually

unbreakable.
• Vitrified Glass-glass that has been specially

treated to be lightweight and hard to break,
like Corelle.

You’ll also want to be sure to find nice silverware
and linens. We particularly like the napkins shown
with embroidery featuring the words,

"Bon appétit.”

Flower arrangements can set an elegant and
light-hearted mood for a table. They provide
another element to the sensory experience with
their aroma. Individual flower vases invite one to
interact with the blossoms.

We believe in bringing artfulness to the dinner
table, and we hope you will too.

123

AKitBcahkeenr’sPDlaoyzliestn

By Lisa Brewer

William Shakespeare was correct to observe that “music be the food of love.” This playlist might
help you get the food to the table for those you love! Enjoy a sample of the musical artists featured
in this issue of Foothills Digest, our food artists’ recommendations, and a few of my own favorites.

Kruger Brothers, “Keep That Skillet Good and Greasy” from the album Carolina
Scrapbook. The Krugers use this terrific tune as the theme song for their online
show, Food Notes.

Kruger Brothers, “People Get Ready” from the album Best of the Kruger
Brothers. This soulful, hopeful song is sure to cast a happy mood over your
kitchen!


Kruger Brothers, “Up 18 North” from the eponymous album. Yes, it’s written
about the gorgeous Highway 18 North in Wilkes County, NC.

His & Hers, also known as Caleb and Sara Davis, do a terrific kitchen song
called “Possum Pie.” Find it online at Muddy Creek Music Hall or on their
excellent latest album, Family Land.

Joe Mullins & His Radio Ramblers will make themselves warmly welcome in
your kitchen! Don’t miss one of my favorite tunes, “Bacon In My Beans” from
their CD For The Record.

Joe Barksdale performs “Blackbird” from his collection, Sincerely. This former
NFL offensive tackle-turned-guitarist and vocalist makes his home and his
music in Austin, Texas.

Joe Barksdale’s selection “Joy Bells” is from his CD Butterflies, Rainbows,
& Moonbeams. The CD can be purchased from his website, www.
josephbarksdale.com and trust me, it’s on every week in my kitchen. Featuring
Rebecca Jade and the Ken Turner Gospel Choir, let this song serve as the call
to your people to come gather ‘round for the blessing before the meal!

Elvis is in the house! Don’t miss Editor Carmen Eckard’s article in this issue
on foraging for pokeweed. But watch out for Poke Salad Annie!

Jens Kruger, “Slow Lights” from the album Profile by Jens Kruger. So special!

Clay Lunsford, “Just Us.” This is such a beautifully rendered tune!

Frank Sinatra and the music of his generation are favorites of
beloved River House proprietor Gayle Winston. We think Ol’ Blue Eyes’ “The
Way You Look Tonight” from his album Nothing But the Best is the perfect
nod to Gayle and her hospitality.

Pianist Emile Pandolfi is a frequent guest performer at The River House.
“Once Upon a Dream” from his album Once Upon a Romance is a perfect
blend of Tchaikovsky waltz and background music for your dinner.

Willie Nelson’s “Stay All Night, Stay a little Longer” (here, from
his 1973 album Shotgun Willie) has been used to close many a show. Insider
sources tell us that Clay and Jean Lunsford have been known to play Willie
Nelson songs in their kitchen!

125

That Good Ol'’ Mountain Clay

By Lisa Brewer Guitarist Clay Lunsford

Clay Lunsford plays guitar with moonshine, and he wrote the song
the grateful heart of a man who about the experience. Legend has
appreciates his God-given talent, it that in the courtroom, attorney
and the precision of an engineer who Lunsford persuaded the presiding
knows what to do with it. judge to taste the evidence, asking,
“Is it truly a crime for my client to
Many folks know him because of his manufacture the liquid you just
blood ties to the most famous song partook?” Allegedly, the judge replied,
ever written about an infamous “With liquor this good, it would be a
homemade beverage. crime not to!”

A retired district engineer for the In 1935, Lunsford’s friend Scotty
North Carolina Department of Wiseman updated the verses to create
Transportation, he is renowned for the more familiar modern version,
playing both acoustic and electric sharing royalties with the elder
guitar in the thumb-picking style. Lunsford.

And he comes by his talent honestly. “Bascom was a lot of different
things,” Clay Lunsford said in a
The Lunsford family name is well recent telephone interview from his
known in bluegrass music circles. Iredell County home. “The University
Clay’s late great-uncle, attorney and of Kentucky wrote a full volume
cultural preservationist Bascom biography of him that is interesting
Lamar Lunsford, wrote the original to read.”
1928 version of the song
“Mountain Dew.” The Clay’s life is just as interesting. As one
lawyer had frequently of seven children born to musically
found himself inclined parents, he grew up with
defending weekend musical get-togethers and
clients who the entertainment provided by a
had been battery-powered radio.
accused of At age seven, young
making Clay was inspired
illegal
to take up
the guitar.
A friend and
neighbor, an African-
American sharecropper
named Mr. D. Williams,
would come to play and
Lunsford would watch,
fascinated.

126

“Mr. Williams had such a smooth roll,” “Today, at 74, it’s an everyday scenario
Lunsford recalled. “I can still hear him when I get to sit down in my recliner,”
doing that. The fourth finger on his Lunsford said. “I have a guitar, just
right hand had been cut off at the tip tinkering with it. The joy I see in people’s
at the sawmill. But boy, could he play!” faces, what the good Lord gave to me,
I’m giving it away to them. It’s not about
Lunsford grew up in the backyard of glory or your name in lights, not for me.
the Union Grove Fiddler’s Convention. It I’ve been blessed. I have a good job and
was there as a sixth-grader that he first a good family and my music has gone
heard Doc Watson and Don Reno play. hand in hand with that.”

He loved hearing guitarist Merle Lunsford feels similarly about his good
Travis on the radio and was strongly friend and master guitar luthier Wayne
influenced by him and by Chet Atkins. Henderson, whom he calls, “the real
deal.”
A Fender Mustang electric guitar was
Lunsford’s first powered instrument. “I asked him one time, I said, ‘Wayne,
He even stood alongside old-time have you got any idea on these guitars,
acoustic music players backing them the thousands that he’s made, the
up on it. “Bascom had no problem with joy over this world that you’ve given
that,” Clay recalled. through that guitar that the performer
plays for people to listen?’” Lunsford
Lunsford served in the United States recalled.
Army from 1965 to 1968. He was
stationed in Stuttgart, Germany. “All the different tastes that the good
Lord has given to different musicians….”
“Everywhere I went, I got involved with Lunsford said, trailing off in thought.
music,” he said. “It was a gift from God.
In Germany, a bird colonel got us to Whether your taste runs to bluegrass,
play at a lot of events.” jazz, gospel, or even the Beatles, Clay
Lunsford plays it and make it uniquely
Throughout his long career as a his.
Department of Transportation highway
engineer and district supervisor, And for that, we’ll shut up our mugs!
Lunsford found time for music. He
and his brothers formed The Gospel You can reach Clay Lunsford and order
Voices band, playing every weekend at his CDs at [email protected].
churches and other venues.

“We’ve been on the road for 53 years, Bascom Lamar Lunsford performs his

every weekend since I got out of the song, “Mountain Dew.”

service,” Lunsford said.

Lunsford was tender as he pointed out Merle Travis and The Cannonball Rag.
that his wife, Jean, always greeted him
after each and every gig – upwards of
10,000, he figures – with a smile.

“She has always listened to my music
here when I’ve been practicing. She’s
never indicated it’s gotten old to her,”
he said.

127

The program’s theme song? A traditional and
catchy bluegrass tune called, “Keep That Skillet
Good and Greasy,” of course.

The cooking show features a perfect blend of
the brothers’ food preparation, playful banter,
and world-class live music while the dishes
cook. All recipes are available on their website,
www.krugerbrothers.com.

By Lisa Brewer On the day of the interview, Jens had been
honored with yet another award: induction into
the Banjo Hall of Fame. Fresh from playing with
his grandchildren, he was ready to talk about
the intersection of food, music, and joy.

Herzlichkeit: (ˈhɛrʦlɪçkait/) (German) warmth, “Where there’s a Kruger, there’s a party!” Jens
cordiality said. “When we play a show here in the kitchen,
we know we’re not the best musicians in the
How many superlatives does human language world, but we can still create the atmosphere.
have to convey the authentic warmth of We do the best we can to make people feel
brothers Uwe and Jens Kruger? good.”

Not nearly enough. The 2013 winner of the Steve Martin Prize for
Excellence in Banjo and Bluegrass Music (which
The Swiss-born master musicians now call means he is, in fact, one of the best in the world)
North Wilkesboro, North Carolina, their home. believes musicians have a responsibility with
During a recent FaceTime interview to discuss their performances.
their Food Notes YouTube series, the brothers’
faces, gestures, and lightly-accented English “You’re taking people’s heartbeats away from
indicated their genuine enthusiasm for music, their life, and you’d better use it in a way that
food, and life itself. benefits them. It’s an obligation,” Jens said.

“We are the worst actors,” elder brother Uwe The brothers’ combined talents and
the guitarist, said. We can’t fake having fun… achievements in music are fascinating, but it’s
and as an entertainer, this is what we owe our worth noting that they know their way around
audience. a kitchen, too.

“We let our humanity shine through,” he said.

Although the COVID-19 global pandemic has Uwe’s mother taught him to read when he was
halted live musical performances before in- only three, and his grandmother handed him
person audiences, the Krugers’ legendary a brochure of recipes that had been delivered

creativity found imaginative outlets to benefit in a package from the American charitable

everyone. group, CARE. Uwe was encouraged to learn to

Food Notes was one project. cook everything in the brochure, using items
like rice, canned peaches, and corned beef in

“I realized people had this stale bread,” Uwe the package. His parents and grandparents had
said, “and I made a five-minute thing for bread known what hunger was, and his grandmother
dumplings [SemmelKnodel]. We had over 12,000 didn’t want him to go hungry.
views! I started joking about doing a cooking
show.” “It shaped our attitudes toward food,” Uwe said,
“We, as boys, were self-sufficient early on.”

Banjoist Jens Kruger’s kitchen was “big enough”

to get the job done according to Uwe, and the Jens, as the younger brother, “caught on a littler

show began, featuring nourishing, economical later” with culinary skills. Together, they grew
and mouth-watering Swiss recipes.
as musicians.
128

“Personally, I didn’t know if I wanted, until I was age 32, to be a professional chef or a
musician,” Uwe confessed. I worked in a shopping center in a kitchen that fed 1,200
people every day. I started as a dishwasher, then butcher apprentice. I made line chef
quickly.”

Did the current global pandemic influence their choice of economic recipes for their
YouTube show?

“You have to understand, we’re musicians,” Uwe said quietly. “Until we became
somewhat successful, I had a budget of $10.00 or $12.00 to last for a whole day’s
food for two people, including cigarettes. I had to learn how to cook on a budget.”

He added that he still finds its exciting to go to the grocery store and “see what’s on
sale today!”

Both brothers agree that something special happens with music, and with food.

“I think it’s that we’ve been playing music for so long that it’s not only about the notes
we play but the effect you can get with music on a general atmosphere,” Jens mused.
“We always realized that music changes the way the room feels with the people. And
I think we aim for certain happiness, certain hopefulness, certain ideal emotions that
we can sort of help create through our music.”

“But also food does the same thing, right?” Uwe interjected agreeably. “So it’s really
the same thing when you cook a thing, it sets a mood.”

In the kitchen with the Krugers, even restricted through FaceTime or YouTube, the
mood is warm and genuine. The food is always comfort food when prepared by
brothers Uwe and Jens Kruger. Every recipe is seasoned, authentically, with a generous
dose of Herzlichkeit.

Want to learn how to say Herzlichkeit?
Use this QR code!

129

Oakwood Dental Arts is a full service dentistry firm based in the heart
of Hickory, North Carolina in the historic Oakwood district. Our mission
is to help you thrive in our town. Whether you have a troubled tooth
that needs help or want to get that smile you’ve always dreamed
about, we are here to serve. We will work with you to create a plan to
achieve the best oral health possible. Let’s take the journey together.

828-324-6235 OakwoodDentalArtsNC.com

[email protected]

131

Restaurants of theFoothills

The foothills of North Carolina are stuffed full of excellent restaurants. There are a
few, however, that we feel do an excellent job of embodying the spirit of this region.
Julia’s Talley House (1) serves up family -style fried chicken like you can’t find anywhere else,
just like they’ve been doing it for over 40 years. You’ll find it at 305 N Main Street in Troutman.
In Conover, we love Sweet Tater’s (2), whose revolving menu of Southern classics
keeps us checking their Facebook page. You’ll find them at 102 10th Street Northwest.
Webb Custom Kitchen (3) is housed in a beautifully renovated historic
movie theatre and their chefs demonstrate artistry with pork and beef.

You’ll find it at 182 S South Street in downtown Gastonia.
Old North State (4) is a winery and restaurant in Mount Airy. Their
chefs are creative and bold. It’s at 308 North Main Street. The
Old Hickory Station (5) is housed in a renovated train station in
downtown Hickory, and their menu is always very connected to the
culinary roots of this region.

1

132

2
3

133

4

5
67

8

134

Cafe Rule (6) has a bright and fresh 9
menu that plays with foothills
traditions while experimenting with 10
a great many gourmet techniques. 4
It’s at 242 11th Avenue NE in Hickory.

The Flat Rock Wood Room (7) at 1501
Greenville Highway in Hendersonville makes
excellent barbecue, and the owner has won
many BBQ competitions all over the country.
You can check out all the trophies as you eat
the perfectly tender brisket or pork barbecue.

You’ll find BOCA (8) in a renovated mill and
the menu is always exciting. Even though
the menu has a worldly flair, the foothills
flourish is obvious. If you go at lunch, be
sure to try the Kobe Beef burger. It is located
at 74 8th Street Southeast, in Hickory.

Downtown Morganton is full of delightful
spots, but our favorite is Root & Vine (9).
This charming restaurant is downtown and
serves up scratch-made food that’s sourced
locally as often as possible. Their menu
is seasonal, which means you’ll always be
able to select something local, fresh and
delicious. It’s at 139 West Union Street.

Blowing Rock is home to one of our favorite
choices: Timberlakes at Chetola Resort
(10). The resort offers many trout fishing
options, and you can order fresh mountain
trout off the menu, as well as salads of
mountain-grown spinach, pan-seared duck
and roasted Carolina quail. We are partial
to the decoration, because the beautiful
and historic home has been renovated
and covered in Bob Timberlake’s paintings.

Truly, this list is just a jumping off place.
We encourage you to explore the culinary
landscape in your own town, and to ask for
recommendations from your friends. Don’t
be afraid to order the specials! You may
have heard people say, “If it’s so good, why
isn’t it on the menu?” But specials are where
you’ll find the most seasonal fair, like locally
foraged mushrooms and ramps! If you know
of an excellent restaurant we’ve overlooked,
send us a note at [email protected].

Making Molasses

by Granny Eckard

Our Grandpa made molasses when we were young children. He built a furnace
with field rock and turned the mill with his mule. The mill was a crusher with
two iron cylinders about eighteen inches that rotated into themselves to crush
the cane in order to release the juice. The mule walked round and round all day
long. Occasionally Grandpa would unhook her from her trace and let her rest.

We kids loved helping. It was a day of festivities. The adults would strip the fodder from
the standing cane, cut it, then heap it in piles for us to cut off the heads. You wouldn't
run the seeds through the crusher because of the trash (and we used the seed for next
year’s planting and for animal/chicken feed). One harvest time when I was about ten, I
was using daddy's pocket knife to cut the heads and I misjudged and cut a four-inch slit
on the outside of my right thigh. I was so upset, not about the blood, but about cutting
my only pair of Jeans. I knew the cut would heal but my jeans would be hard to mend.
Of course, the scar is still there, but I don't remember what happened to the jeans. I
suspect they went in the trash since we did not wear patched or holey jeans back in the day.

When Grandpa turned the molasses-making over to our dad, he thoroughly enjoyed
it as well. He built his own wood-burning furnace out of brick with a metal roof and a
tall chimney pipe. He set his crusher to operate from the motor of his John Deere. He
welded the copper boiler pan into four or five continuous sections with gates between
each section. The pan nearest the end of the boiler had a hole with a plug. When the
last pan was ready to run off, he removed the plug and pushed the finished product
out with a wide wooden board on a long handle, into containers. Next he moved the
juice in each section up into the next pan, then added fresh green juice in the first pan.

As the fresh juice boils, it leaves a foamy green residue that must be skimmed off and
discarded continuously. The neighbors came to help crush, feed the fire and watch the
boiler. Occasionally, dad would complain, with good humor, that some of his help was
running the finished product off too soon and we had some molasses that had a dark green
color and a slight bitter taste. He said it had to be a certain syrupiness and bronze color.

This furnace required a lot of wood and a person to feed it. You had to have a constant
fire from morning till evening, or ever how long, because this was a process you
could not stop and start over the next day. It all had to be run off regardless of the
hour, or how sweaty, or how tired you were - on and on until all the juice was used.

Our Dad was a man of numerous skills. He has passed away now, but in 1991, his

friend, Don Dellinger, honored him by asking if he would participate at the new Belwood

Antique Tractor & Engine Festival in Belwood. Dad manned the Molasses-making

exhibit there for several years as long as his health allowed. He also ran the sawmill

exhibit. This festival has been in continuous operation for 29 years. It’s a great place

for you and your family to learn about old time local crafts. The festival is usually

held the first weekend of September. There is a small entrance fee that benefits the

Belwood Heritage Museum. 136

This painting is by artist Arie Taylor, who
happens to be my cousin. In the painting,
you can see the cane, pottery to store the
molasses, a horse who is crushing the cane
and a furnace made of field rock. You can
purchase this painting and others at her
Etsy page: www.etsy.com/shop/jagartist.

VENISON

Even if you’ve never hunted a day in your life, living in western North Carolina means
that someone neighborly soul might bring you a venison loin or a few packs of ground
venison. If you do hunt, be sure to follow North Carolina regulations. You can find them
online here: www.eregulations.com/northcarolina/hunting-fishing/deer-regulations/.
Deer meat is tasty and healthy if you prepare it correctly, so don’t worry. Just read our
tips and put on your apron!

TIPS

Venison is very lean. This means you need to be careful to not overcook it. Use a thermometer
and get it to 135 degrees. It also means you want to add some fat when you cook it.

Instead of oiling your pan, be sure to coat your whole piece of meat in oil or another fat.
Warm it up to room temperature before you cook it.

If you are cooking a large piece of venison, be sure to
sear it at high heat to lock in the moisture and fats.
Don’t be afraid to salt liberally.

Don’t forget to let it rest before you cut it.

Mushrooms and red wine pair remarkably well with
venison.

Chefs say that venison is best
prepared medium-well.

Betty Crocker says, “Follow
directions for cooking beef.
Baste the roast with red wine
for a special touch. Wild Plum
Jelly is a natural with venison.”

She also says ”If you like
the “wild” flavor, cook a
shorter time with simple
seasonings. If you do not,
increase cooking time and
add more seasonings. Never
overcook! It becomes dry and
unflavorful!”

VENISON CHILI

• 1/2 cup of bacon grease or lard Cook the onion in the bacon grease until
• 1 onion, diced it begins to get transparent and then add
• 1 pound of ground vension the venison. Brown it and add the spices
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chili powder and sugar. Cook for 5 minutes, then add
• 2 tablespoons ground cumin the tomato paste as you stir. Turn heat to
• 2 tablespoons sugar medium low and add the other ingredients.
• 4 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 tablespoon garlic powder Simmer on low for at least an hour. There
• 2 teaspoon ground black are a lot of things you can add to chili,
but we prefer to keep it simple. We do,
pepper however, always serve it up with a scoop
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper of sour cream and some grated cheddar.
• 2 cups beef broth
• 1 diced tomatoes You can also add some gelatin while you
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained are cooking to make it a bit smoother
• 1 can white kidney beans, and give it more body. To do that,
you would pour a little unflavored
drained gelatin into a bowl of cold water, then
• 1 can black beans beans, when the water soaks up, you add hot
water, then pour it all into the chili.
drained
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 cup coffee (optional)



ROASTED Subscribe
VENSION LOIN
Foothills Digest
• 1 pound Venison tenderloin PO Box 2670
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black Lenoir, NC 28645
Name:
pepper optional
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Pat the Address:
loin with salt then put it in the oven. If you
like a medium well loin, cook until it is 135- Phone:
140 degrees. If you like a well-done loin,
cook it to 160 degrees. Let it rest once you Subscriptions are $27
remove it from the heat then cut it into per year and we publish
slices. quarterly. Shipping is $9.
Serve with cream of mushroom soup. It is Please enclose a check or your
a simple roux you can make by following credit card information. Cards
these steps: saute minced onion and are charged $36 one time.
garlic in butter until soft. Turn up the heat
and add mushrooms, then cook until they Card Number:
release their moisture. Use a little sherry
to deglaze the pan. Expiration:
Sprinkle flour over the mushrooms and CVV Code:
butter, stirring as you go. Add about 2
cups of a liquid of your choice and cook
until the mushrooms are tender. Slowly
stir in heavy cream and milk until the soup
is the consistency you desire. Garnish with
fresh herbs and sautéed mushroom.

142

Recipes

Table of Contents

Apple Dressing, 42 Fried Green Tomatoes, 33

Apple Pie with Cheddar Fried Okra, 32
Fruit Gelatin, 88
Crumb Topping, 42
Ginger Molasses Cake, 113
Apple Salad, 42
Grits, 31
Apple Stack Cake, 38
Apple Walnut Scones, 40 Gummies, 89
Hushpuppies, 32
Bacon, 15
Kudzu, 56
Banana Pudding with
Lard Biscuits, 15
Meringue, 112
Lettuce or Creasy Greens
BBQ Sauce:
with Green Onions, 104
Eastern, 19
Livermush, 23
Lexington, 19
Livermush Shepherd’s Pie, 23
South Carolina, 19
Macaroni and Cheese, 102
Cheerwine BBQ, 83
Mayonnaise, 70
Blender Slaw, 75
Mayonnaise variations, 70
Boiled Peanuts, 106

Bread and Butter Pickles, 94 Meatloaf, 101

Brussels Sprouts with Morel mushrooms, 60

Bacon and Maple Syrup, 106 Muscadine Jelly, 92

Candied Apples, 41 Pan fried pork chop, 13

Chanterelles, 52 Pawpaw Custard, 110

Cheerwiggles, 81 Pig Pickin,’ 17

Cheerwine Brownies, 80 Pimento Cheese, 73

Cheerwine Bourbon 3 Pimento Cheese

Glazed Ham, 80 variations 73

Cheerwine Bourbon Plantain, 55

Slushie, 80 Pinto Beans, 106

Cheerwine Bundt Cake, 80 Poke Sallet, 48

Cheerwine Donuts, 82 Pork Shoulder, 19

Cheerwine Gelatin, 78 Pork chop with apple cider

Cheerwine Hot Wings, 81 reduction, 20

Cheerwine Ice Cream, 80 Pumpkin Pie, 113

Cheerwine Punch Pops, 83 Pumpkin Seed Pesto, 33

Chicory, 51 Rabbit Stew, 104

Chicory Salad, 51 Ranch Dressing, 32

Chicken and Dumplings, 102 Red Clover, 63

Chicken Aspic, 88 Red-Eye Gravy, 14

Chickweed pesto, 67 Roasted Radishes, 104

Chili, 74 Sausage Gravy, 69

Chow Chow, 94 Spiced Pawpaw Cake, 110

Collard Greens with Stabilized Whipped

Fatback, 103 Cream, 86

Corn Bread, 31 Strawberry Cake, 121

Cream of Mushroom Strawberry Jam, 92

Soup, 69 Sweet Potato Casserole, 103

Dandelion, 59 Tomato Aspic, 86

Deviled Eggs, 108 Tomato Salad, 45

Deviled Eggs Variations, 108 Turkey Apple Melt, 42
Elderberry Syrup, 64
Turkey Gravy, 69
Fig Preserves, 93
Veggie Soup, 101
Flaky Pie Crust, 113
Venison Chili, 139
Fried Chicken, 98
Venison Loin, 141

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