The calendar has flipped to fall… and the evenings are hinting at the chilly days ahead. The apples are heavy on the tree and that means that apple butter season can’t be far behind. With that in mind, we’re sending out this invitation for the third annual log cabin apple butter festival!
What: If you haven’t joined us for a day of apple butter making, you’re in for a treat. We start VERY early in the morning and we stir, visit, stir, eat, stir, socialize, stir, make cider, stir and, finally, bottle the apple butter when it reaches that perfect place on the taste continuum. We’ll do this outdoors – in a copper kettle – over a wood fire just the way it has been done for over a hundred years. We’ll do it in the shadow of an old hand built log cabin in a mountain setting as the leaves are changing their colors. You’ll almost feel set back in time when people to people visits were just a regular way of life. It’s a beautiful way to spend a day and, as always, you can come when it suits, stay as long as you wish and you’re always welcome to bring a friend. (But truth be told – the more people we have on hand, the better!!)
Where: We’ll be at Crooked Cabin Farm at 605 Stanton Hill road. From town, head toward Walmart, pass Aldi’s and the mall, pass the country club and, in a bit, you’ll come to the blinking light in Russell. Turn LEFT onto 957 (the Russell-Lander Road). Continue on past Swede Hill road on your right until you see the veterinary office on your right. Turn LEFT onto Stanton Hill Road and continue about a half mile up the hill. The crooked mailbox will be on your right and the gravel driveway by the Crooked Cabin is on your left. Turn LEFT and come about ¼ mile to the cabin. You can’t miss it!!
Menu: All the food at Crooked Cabin farm now is plant based. We serve no eggs, meat or dairy – but oh, is it ever good food! We’ll have biscuits and munchies for breakfast but look out for lunch. Lunch this year will feature Crooked Cabin Harvest Burgers, a meat free burger that we’ll grill to perfection and serve on wheat rolls with fresh organic tomatoes and lettuce. We’ll also have steamed potatoes (steamed in Al Fox’s steamer) and served with Janeen’s chive topping, with Beard’s Beans topping or with janeen’s new Taco topping. (If you’ve been at any of Janeen’s cooking classes, you know just how good those toppings are!) If you want to bring anything, please feel free – but remember, we respectfully ask that there be no dairy, eggs or meat.
When: The date is October 13, 2018. We’ll start at 6:00 am and plan to pull the apple butter around 5:00 pm. It’s an all-day event so any of you who could come at 6 am would be appreciated. And at 5:00 pm – we set up the canning line. If you haven’t seen that, bring your camera – what a sight!!
What We’re Cooking: We’re going to do two 24 gallon kettles this year. To cover the expenses of the day, we’ll be making the fresh apple butter available for $5/pint. Ingredients are apples… and just a touch of cinnamon oil. I’m sure we’ll eat a bunch as well so you’ll need to save some room after lunch.
Who: This is a community event. If you have a friend, a date, a spouse or you run into someone who needs a meal, drag them along. This is old fashioned mountain fun from 100 years ago - and it’s meant to be shared! There’ll be no speeches but we do say grace before the meals!
Questions: I think that’s it. If you have any questions, give Janeen (330) 651-5700 or John (814) 883-8729 a call. Hope you can make our day brighter by joining us for a really great day at the newly restored log cabin!