email this pageWillis turned the farm over to his twin sons, Harley and Merley, in the 1960s. They quickly found that running an apple orchard is a little like babysitting a fussy toddler. It’s hard work, and compared to growing other crops, it’s expensive, but the payback can be worth it. In addition to tending to the existing trees, which can produce apples for more than 20 years, Harley and Merley planted new trees. Once a tree is planted, it needs to grow for four or five years before it bears fruit, and during that time, it needs lots of care. But in the early days, the Willis’ had time on their side.
Harley and Merley, now 78 years old, still grow more than six different varieties of apples, and their Golden Delicious are the talk of Unicoi County.
The brothers see the same faces year after year, and by the end of November, the apples are sold out.
Gooey Apple Cake
8 tablespoons butter, divided
1½ cups sugar, divided
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon salt
2 large tart apples, cored and chopped
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
2 teaspoons cornstarch
¼ cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extrac
2. Cream 5 tablespoons butter and 1 cup sugar. Add egg and beat well. Stir in flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, apples and walnuts. Batter will be stiff. Spoon into prepared pan; smooth top. Bake about 35 minutes.
3. Combine remaining 3 tablespoons butter, 1⁄2 cup sugar, cornstarch and evaporated milk in a saucepan; bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Pour over hot cake. Serve warm. Serves 9.
Rustic Apple Pie
Ingredients
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
3⁄4 cup vegetable shortening
6 to 7 tablespoons ice water
Filling:
4 pounds tart apples (such as Granny Smith),
peeled, cored and sliced
½ cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
Cinnamon-sugar (optional)
2. To prepare the crust, mix flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening using a pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add ice water 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir gently and gather into two balls, one about twice as large as the other.
3. Roll out larger ball on a lightly floured surface until it is large enough to cover the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan, with about 2 inches of overhang. Roll the smaller dough ball into a 9-inch circle.
4. To prepare the filling, combine apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon and salt; toss well. Spoon into prepared crust. Sprinkle pieces of butter on top. Place top crust over filling. Fold overhang evenly around the top crust. Cut 10 to 12 slits in top crust. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar if desired. Bake about 1 hour or until crust is deep golden and the filling oozes through the slits. Serves 12.
Recipe by Mary Carter, Relish Traditions, "Farmer in the Dell," October 2007.
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