Farm to Table Supper with Chef Charles Parker and TC3 @ Kelly Ridge Farms, LLC

Appalachian roots. They run deep. They’re as deep as the shaded hollers or the roots of Mamaw’s prize plant. They’re what Central Appalachia is made of. Hard-working people who love each other deeply. People who cherish family stories, traditions, farming, land, and of course, food.    

Getting back to our Appalachian Roots is how you might describe our Autumn Farm to Table Supper with our friends at Tumbling Creek Cider Company and our host, Kelly Ridge Farms, LLC. We’ve been doing these fundraising Farm to Table suppers together for many years now. Each supper features a local chef who sources from local farmers and highlights seasonal fruits, vegetables, meats, and more. 

We’re bringing back local favorite, Chef Charles Parker - who helped us launch these suppers all those years ago. Chef Charles is like family to us, and to the local farmers he has always sourced from. For this supper, we’re getting back to our roots. Just good food and great friends. 

Chef Charles has always known that he wanted to be a chef. Growing up in Northeast Tennessee, Charles began cooking with his grandmother at the age of 5. This was where he learned to love food, especially locally-grown food. Almost everything Charles and his grandmother cooked was from her garden or the local farmer's market.

For 64 guests, Chef Charles has curated the most flavorful menu featuring seasonal ingredients, fresh from the farm. Guests will enjoy a 4-course meal sure to please. Nothing pretentious, just authentic and satisfying. We will serve ample portions, family style, so you can savor Appalachia with every mouthful. Each course is expertly paired with crisp, locally made Tumbling Creek ciders. 

• Course 1: Chilled Gazpacho - Enjoy a crisp start to your meal with Gazpacho featuring local apples, watermelon, and spices.  

• Course 2: Appalachian Tamales - Tender, chorizo, and ground beef cabbage rolls over creamed corn. Vegetarian option: Wild mushrooms and rice stuffed tamales. Think comfort food with just the right spice!  

• Course 3: Cider-brined chicken thighs - Locally sourced chicken finished with BBQ sauce and spinach. Vegetarian option: Gnocchi with grilled vegetables. 

• Course 4: Cider-soaked boozy blueberry and grilled peach parfait.

*Cider pairings for each course TBD. Our friends at TC3 are creating some very special ‘pico batches’ to be released soon!

Tumbling Creek Cider Company was formed by four friends in 2018, with a mission of creating high-quality apple-to-bottle cider focused on our local region and community here in Southwest Virginia. With a focus on hand-crafted cider, they built a production facility and then started grafting cider apple trees and building the orchard. In 2020, they opened their tasting room in Abingdon, VA. Learn more at: https://tumblingcreekcider.com.

Enjoy Haiku Brew coffee at this supper. Entrepreneur Justin VanHoy will be with us, serving his unique roasted coffee. coffee@haikubrew.com.

100% of all proceeds benefit Appalachian Sustainable Development. Marketing photos and videos are taken at all events. Menu subject to availability. No refunds. Generously underwritten by an anonymous donor and UnitedHealthcare.