As seen in The Laurel Magazine, September 2011 Edition.
As the weather cools and the light changes to autumn gold, take your family out to discover the beauty of a just-picked apple.
Fall is upon us and that means that apples are being harvested. Apples are America’s favorite fruit, and North Carolina ranks seventh in apple production in the United States. Apples need a certain climate and Western North Carolina has the perfect temperatures for growing crisp juicy apples — warm days and cool nights, as well as cool foggy August mornings which bring the blush to the apples.
Living in the mountains, people are steeped in the tradition and apples are certainly a tradition. Apple orchards are a way to get back to your roots and Cashiers is proud to say that one of the original apple orchards is located at the Aladdin Kit House built in 1920 for Dr. Van Epp.
Dr. Epp, of West Palm Beach, Florida, came annually to Cashiers to be a summer physician at the High Hampton Inn. When the McKee family purchased High Hampton Inn, Dr. Epp bought the Aladdin Kit House and used it for his practice.
The Aladdin Kit House stayed in the family, and today, Lynn Monday, Dr. Epp’s great-great granddaughter, has transformed it into Monday’s House of Design. The apple orchard still exists at the house and still produces fruit.
If you visit, be sure to ask Lynn for an apple martini. The recipe’s been passed down by Monday’s Great Aunt Skeet Law, the second owner of Aladdin Kit House. Aunt Skeet changed the name of the house to Law & Disorder and was known for her apple martini parties. If you’re lucky, Lynn may just share the recipe.
It seems appropriate that the High Hampton Inn is hosting an Apple Festival on September 24th. Apple martinis won’t be on the menu for the festival but apple cider, caramel apples, apple slushies, and sack races are all part of the fun. Dawn Creasman, president of the Blue Ridge Farm Direct Market Association, and who along with her husband owns Creasman Farms, will be at the apple festival at High Hampton Inn.
“Come to an apple festival not only to get quality fruit but to meet your grower and to talk to the grower to find out what it takes to produce your food, where it comes from and, most importantly, a way to support your local economy,” says Dawn.
Creasman Farms will have on hand ten varieties of apples and homemade apple cake – a recipe that’s been passed down in her family for seventy-five years. With food, music, and activities to suit all ages and tastes, the festival has something for everyone (even the testiest of teenagers will find something to enjoy).
If you can’t get by to see Lynn Monday for her apple martini recipe, Chef Sean of High Hampton Inn has graciously shared his Waldorf Salad recipe.
Yield: 1 quart
Ingredients:
Method:
Mix all of the ingredients together and serve chilled the same day.
*Keep diced apples in water with a small amount of lemon juice until ready to mix. Make sure they are drained completely.