On October 20th, students and faculty gathered in the courtyard of Apex High to celebrate apples at the NC Crunch Festival. This statewide event is widely celebrated by schools across North Carolina. Apex High’s culinary program dedicated its menu that week to consist of apples, while festivities occupied the courtyard for the day.

During both lunches, games and food were available to students. Ms. O’Brian, Food and Culinary Arts instructor, led the apple trivia where she asked students questions about apples with the chance to earn lollipops. Mr. Clark, who teaches agriculture and agriscience, had three apple samples for students to try: Fuji Apple, Granny Smith, and Honey Crisp – each grown locally. When asked about the experience, Mr. Clark emphasized his enthusiasm about the event stating, “It was good to see students excited about this…hopefully we can do it again next year.” The Apex Button Company also paid a visit and had buttons for sale, which were incredibly popular with students. However, there was one thing that stole the show: The Apex High Culinary Program’s menu.

The food cooked by Apex High’s culinary program was nothing short of phenomenal. Celebrating the farm-to-table program, the students had a lab where they created Apple Cheddar Thyme Galettes. These were savory, crusty cakes with cheddar filling and topped with fresh apples and thyme. The students also baked Spice Pound Cake Cupcakes filled with Cinnamon Buttercream and topped with Cinnamon Apples; these were available for Apex faculty to enjoy. The culinary program didn’t fall short on drinks, either. A new creation, Chai-der, which consists of apple cider, chai, and oat milk, was introduced to the menu. These intricate recipes incorporated fresh apples from local farms in North Carolina – the perfect way to celebrate the NC Crunch Festival. 

Overall, the festival successfully taught Apex High about the significance of apples in North Carolina; we now carry a new appreciation for this delicious fruit and its many uses. 

By: Camille Gottholm and Logan Widemond