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This week's broadcast of Mountain Stage was recorded at the Lesher Center for the Arts in Walnut Creek, CA. On this episode, host Kathy Mattea welcomes GRAMMY-winning Australian rock star Colin Hay, Canadian singer-songwriter Bruce Cockburn, legendary folk and country artist Ramblin' Jack Elliott, San Francisco rocker Chuck Prophet and his band The Make Out Quartet, and folk duo The Lucky Valentines.
Home » Apple Pies, Apple Cider: Could a Return to Apple Farming Help Revive Appalachia's Economy?
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Apple Pies, Apple Cider: Could a Return to Apple Farming Help Revive Appalachia's Economy?
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Here in Appalachia, it’s apple season. And that means apple growers are sending this year’s crop to farmers markets and grocery stores. But the majority of the apples grown here get sent to manufacturers to be used in apple sauce and apple juice. By the way, did you know that Golden Delicious Apples originated right here in West Virginia? In fact, apples are our state fruit.
Apples have been a major agricultural industry for the Mountain State. But according to the Department of Agriculture, the apple industry has decreased in West Virginia since 2010. In particular the Eastern Panhandle, the land that was used to grow apples is experiencing a real estate boom. So in the last few years more and more farmers have been selling their land and getting out of the farming industry. In honor of apple season, we’re going to listen back to an episode that originally aired last September, celebrating Apple-Atcha. In this episode we talk with Josh Bennett and Will Lewis, founders of Hawk Knob Cider, in Lewisburg West Virginia, about reviving this time-honored drink.
Lydia Wilson from the show With Good Reason also talked to Albemarle Ciderworks in North Garden, Virginia about the boom in the cider industry.
Oh, and there’s a new apple cider business in West Virginia, called Swilled Dog Hard Cider, based in Pendleton County.
Apples are for more than just cider, and some say that there is nothing more American than apple pie. So we talked to Emily Hilliard, the state folklorist of West Virginia and author of the pie blog Nothing in the House, about what goes into making a traditional apple pie, as well as a fig and goat cheese tart. Emily’s pie crust was also featured in a new cookbook called Victuals: An Appalachian Journey with Recipes.
Nothing in the House Pie Crust
This is the standard crust recipe Emily Hilliard uses for most pies that call for a pastry crust. It makes enough for 1 double-crust pie. If you only need a single crust, halve the recipe, or make a full recipe and save half of the dough for a future pie by wrapping it tightly in plastic wrap and storing it the freezer or fridge.
Ingredients 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (or 1 c. all-purpose + 1 c. whole-wheat pastry flour*) 1/2 tablespoon granulated sugar 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 1/2 sticks COLD unsalted butter (12 tablespoons), cut into slices 1/2 beaten large egg, cold (save the other half to brush on top of the crust) 1/4 cup ice-cold water 1/2 tablespoon cold apple cider vinegar (I keep mine in the fridge)
Directions 1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, and salt. Using a pastry cutter or fork and knife, cut in the butter. You want to make sure butter chunks remain, as that’s what makes the crust flaky.
2. In a separate small bowl, whisk together the COLD liquid ingredients (Using cold liquids ensures that your butter will not melt–another crucial detail for a flaky crust!).
3. Pour the liquid mixture into the flour-butter mixture and combine using a wooden spoon. Mix until dough comes together, but is not overly mixed (it should be a little shaggy). Form into a ball, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, and let chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before rolling out.
*If you use whole wheat pastry flour, you may need to add additional liquid.
Music in this episode was provided by the Hillbilly Gypsies, The Western Ave String Band, Anna and Elizabeth, Dog and Gun, Ben Townsend, and Andy Agnew Jr.
Across the nation, there are more and more local news deserts; communities with no local newspaper, television or radio station to cover what’s going on. When a small town paper like The Welch News in McDowell County, WV, can’t compete and shuts down, losing those local eyes and ears can affect accountability. No one is there to watch over things. Local news also provides a sense of cohesion and identity for a community. What happens when it’s gone? This story was supported by the Pulitzer Center.
On this West Virginia Morning, it has been a year since allegations of illicit recordings of cadets and other women at the West Virginia State Police barracks launched federal and state investigations into the law enforcement department. We speak with the superintendent of state police for an update.
On this West Virginia Morning, political analysts say the two Republican candidates for the U.S. Senate in the upcoming May primary election give voters some particular, and troubling, food for thought. The candidates themselves say voters need to focus on the positives, not the negatives.
Coles and Theresa “Red” Terry have been fighting over the Mountain Valley Pipeline nearly since it was first proposed in 2014. The project connects natural gas terminals in Virginia and West Virginia with a 303-mile pipeline that stretches across some of Appalachia’s most rugged terrain. Almost immediately after construction began, protestors tried to block it by setting up and living in platforms in trees along the route.