Keep Calm and Curry On November 5th
… or…
Mountain Masala brings spice to downtown Johnson City
A one-night curry stand will dish up good food for a good cause at the first annual Mountain Masala Appalachian Curry Dinner, Saturday November 5th from 4:00pm to 8:00pm. Register for tickets here!
Held outdoors at CityFarm, 232 S. Commerce Street (Boone x Commerce) across from Founders Park and the Cemetery in downtown Johnson City, the event is a joint fundraiser for nonprofits that teach farming and business skills to youth and beginning farmers in northeast Tennessee: the Appalachian RC&D Council, Build It Up, and Foodtopia. The mantra of the event is “supporting local food and farms for all”, evidenced by the inexpensive full meal ticket price of $20, which includes a craft beverage from Yee Haw Brewing Company for those 21 or older. Smaller dish options are also available.
The idea for serving up an Appalachian Curry was developed by Kiran Sirah, Johnson City resident, native of the United Kingdom, and president of the International Storytelling Center. Sirah will be cooking the curry himself and co-designed the menu.
“Every meal tells a story,” say Sirah. “Across the United Kingdom many cities have their own officially proclaimed curry dish. We are making an Appalachian curry creating our own unique recipe blended from seasonal ingredients. Our curry tells the story of the farms it came from, the beauty of these mountains, and the dreams for farming in the future.”
“The flavors are global, but the ingredients are mostly local” says Emily Bidgood, Executive Director of the Appalachian RC&D Council, citing that over the summer the vegetables for the curry have been donated by or purchased from local farms, including the Foodtopia farm at the Science Hill Alternative High School. Sweet potatoes, white potatoes, okra, pumpkin, tomatoes, cilantro, eggplant, and more.
“There are people from all over the world who call the Appalachians and Johnson City home and this event celebrates that diversity. We are saying think global, act local.”
Diners are encouraged to buy advance tickets at www.arcd.org/registration to reserve their seats and receive the discounted price of $20 for a full meal. For those without tickets on the day of the event, “walk ins”, there will be an A La Carte menu first come first serve. For questions contact 423-979-2581 or apprcd@gmail.com.
Sponsored by Main Street Pizza Company (owner of CityFarm), River Creek Farm, Yee Haw Brewing Company, Foodtopia, River House Farm, Uncle Rob’s Farm and Sunset View Farm.
