Once Upon A Pie...

Blueberry Nectarine Galette

Chicken Pye

Pasties Bombay

Give Us This Day!

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

I grew up in the central coast town of Santa Maria, California. We are known for for many things like our Santa Maria Style Bar-B-Que. Produce is very abundant in Santa Maria! They grow everything there from broccoli to lettuce. Cauliflower is pretty big there too. As a matter of fact, if you live in the United States chances are if you look on the shrink wrap on the cauliflower it probably came from Santa Maria and was packaged by Point Sal Packing. But, if you know anything about Santa Maria you know that the entire town is surrounded by strawberry fields. Incidentally my Aunt Jackie, who my sister Jacqui was named after, owned and operated Santa Maria Berry Farms for many years. I guess I never really thought about it until today, but strawberries have always been a part of my life. So in honor of "HOME" and to the memory of Cherrie's father Larry Hanson I share with you all...

STRAWBERRY PIE

In a 2-quart sauce pan, mix together:


1/4 cup of sugar and 3 tablespoons of cornstarch

Gradually stir in 1 cup of cran/raspberry concentrate (thawed and undiluted)

Mix until smooth, and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Stir constantly. Boil for 1 minute.

Remove from heat. Cool completely.

Gently fold in 4 cups of fresh hulled strawberries and fill *pie crust.

Refrigerate for 4 hours until set.




*Check my archives for the best pie crust to use for this recipe.

A TRIBUTE TO COURAGE

(A summer day with friends on the Neosho Pond)

A Springtime Struggle found him into early June, thankful that he might once again visit old friends and talk about tomorrow. So he came, as did Eunice, with a baker's box in hand. A baker's box - unlike the days when pies were his own creation; a solitary kitchen art affording a "down home" gentleness to his manhood - cherry, apple, and custard... with their lattice-worked crusts. But Larry had tried, and today it would be the baker's turn, to attempt near as much.

Larry continued to enjoy his sweets, though other sustenance had become a challenge. Today it would be pie - a richly glazed strawberry pie; the glory of summer's beginning, proudly resting in the sun-bathed window where he stood; his silhouette but a shadow of what had been. He and Eunice, who but a few years earlier could innocently have walked out from any glamour magazine. Now Eunice nervously asks him to be careful; "Wear a hat in the sun - remember what the doctors said." Larry just as nervously complies.

They spoke of the hospital, the doctors and empty hours of not knowing, the terror of not knowing. Larry carefully lifts his shirt displaying his invaded chest, a whisper of his prior stature; the pump about his waist continuing to infantry the chemicals that selectively fight the civil war against his own being. Tattooed ink markings; mapping war strategies for the radiation guys that rally for him while he rests on cold hard gurneys.

We took the old boat onto the pond' Larry's hat atop his head, speaking easily of the past and cautiously of tomorrow - laughing occasionally as if nothing mattered. Ah, memory can be a generous friend, allowing such momentary freedoms. Yet weren't those Larry's words to Eunice, "Nothing matters anymore," after the doctor's compassionate words and before the surgery that would guardedly sustain him? We talked about life on the pond - the hawk that guards from high above its shores, the blue heron that migrates and nests each year. We spoke of the millpond's history as we passed the cemetery on the point nearest the village; of the years that had passed - would continue to come and pass while the old motor gently sputtered and coughed our way in and around the gratitude for yet another glorious day! Larry helped guide me into shore, bringing a weary boat to rest after taking us full circle.

The day lingered within a generous afternoon. A summer supper ending with coffee and his eyes brightening! Larry continued to enjoy his sweets and smiled at his generous slice of strawberry pie, as we spoke of times past and cautiously of tomorrow. We spoke of pies he again would make; of flaky crusts that would hold them. But today it was a baker's pie - and no matter. Larry continued to enjoy his sweets, and smiled at his generous slice.

Ah, the sweetness of strawberry pie.

JOHN ASCHENBRENNER

ON NEOSHO POND - JUNE 12, 2002

"LARRY TAUGHT ME ABOUT LIFE AND HOW TO LIVE IT. HE TAUGHT ME ABOUT COURAGE. LARRY TAUGHT ME ABOUT DEATH AND HOW TO GRACEFULLY MOVE THROUGH IT. WE WILL ALWAYS REMAIN FRIENDS."

HEIRLOOM TOMATO TART

Over the next few weeks heirloom tomatoes will be abundant at your local farmers markets or from your own yard depending on when you planted! I wanted to get this post up in time to give you a few ideas on what you can do with your bounty of tomatoes. This tart is so yummy that you should consider making it for breakfast, lunch or dinner! If you are like me and you have more than enough tomatoes to feed an army, make an extra one for a friend or neighbor... you too can share the good stuff!

FOR BLACK PEPPER PARMESAN PASTRY

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoons cold vegetable shortening
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

FOR FILLING

3/4 lb fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), very thinly sliced
1/2 cup pesto [see my recipe posted July 01, 2009]
2 lb mixed heirloom tomatoes, sliced 3/4 inch thick

Make pastry:Blend together flour, butter, shortening, Parmesan, pepper, and salt in a bowl with your fingertips or a pastry blender (or pulse in a food processor) until mixture resembles coarse meal with some roughly pea-size lumps. Drizzle 2 tablespoons ice water over and gently stir with a fork (or pulse in food processor) until incorporated.

Gently squeeze a small handful: If it doesn't hold together without falling apart, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring (or pulsing) after each addition until incorporated, continuing to test. (Do not overwork dough, or it will become tough.)

Turn out dough onto a work surface and divide into 2 portions. With heel of your hand, smear each portion once in a forward motion to help distribute fat. Gather both portions of dough into 1 ball, then pat into a disk. Chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface into a 12-inch round and fit into a 9-inch round tart pan with a removable rim. Roll rolling pin over top of pan to trim dough flush with rim. Lightly prick tart shell all over with a fork.

Line shell with foil and fill with pie weights or rice. Bake in middle of oven 20 minutes. Carefully remove foil and weights and bake until golden, about 15 minutes more. Cool in pan on a rack.

Fill tart shell:Remove side of pan and slide shell onto a platter. Arrange one third of mozzarella in bottom of shell and drizzle with one third of pesto. Arrange one third of tomato slices, overlapping, on top of cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat layering twice.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT: Pie weights or raw rice.

NOTE: Tart shell can be made 1 day ahead and kept, covered, at room temperature

GIVE US THIS DAY!

I am not big on cooking in the summer! Living in the mid-west it gets pretty humid, and I simply have no time to sweat-it-out any more than I have to. I eat lots of salads because I shop at my local farmers markets incessantly. One of the few exceptions is this simple to make bread recipe... I love fresh bread with my salads. Just ask Duane and Brandon, [check the archive for Oxtail Soup.] I make a mean salad and this bread is the perfect accompaniment for any home cooked meal.

My Easiest French Bread

2 packages active dry yeast [1/4 ounce each]

2-1/2 cups warm water

2 Tablespoons sugar

2 Tablespoons oil [use anything: I use extra virgin olive oil]

2 teaspoons salt

6-6-1/2 cups of all purpose flour

cornmeal

1 egg white

1 Tablespoon water

2 Tablespoons sesame seeds

In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add sugar, oil, salt and 4 cups of flour; beat until smooth. Add enough remaining flour to form a smooth dough. Turn onto a floured board; knead until smooth and elastic, about 6-8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turning once to oil the top of the dough. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled. This should take about an hour. Punch down. Divide in half. Roll each half of the dough into a 15-inch x 10-inch rectangle. Roll up from the long side.; seal well. Place the seam side down on a lightly greased cookie sheet sprinkled with cornmeal. Beat egg white with water; brush loaves. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. Cover with plastic wrap sprayed with nonstick cooking spray; let rise until doubled, about 30 minutes. Using a very sharp knife, [I use a single edged razor] make four shallow diagonal cuts across the top of each loaf. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pan and cool on wire rack. YIELD: 2 LOAVES

Variations: If you want to add things such as fresh or dried herbs, roasted whole cloves of garlic, cheese, or whatever else you fancy; add these ingredients when you add the first batch of flour. Try using fresh herbs, really great speciality salts, exotic spices, or any seeds you have to put on the top of the bread before you bake-off the loaves. Be creative and do whatever you want!

Note:If you enjoy home-made bread this is a great recipe to start out with. Don't be discouraged! The ingredients are inexpensive, so it really doesn't matter if you loose a loaf or two!

It Is All About The Crust

This is the worlds best pie crust! It is an old fashion lard crust that is perfect for savory pies or any pie that has a long bake time. You can add fresh or dried herbs to the pastry... the flavor combinations are endless! It freezes well, and it really is simple to make and easy to use. I have made pastie-like treats for myself using just about any kind of left-overs. I have used this crust to top a ramekin full of extra thick chicken and vegetable goodness, [my fantastic version of a potpie.] I like using the edge scraps to take the shape of one of my cookie cutters to garnish the tops of whatever pie it happens to be at the moment. I always experiment by egg washing the pastry scraps and dusting them with things like paprika, turmeric, dry mustard, etc. It gave interesting character to the poinsettia flowers I used to garnish the meat pies on Christmas eve. I threw a couple of mustard seeds in the flower centers. It was great! Yield: 1 crust.

1 1/3 cup unbleached flour

1/4 cup lard

1/4 cup ice cold water

4 teaspoons of cider vinegar

1/8 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (use regular table salt - fancy salts are not recommended for this recipe.)

Cut lard into 1/2" pieces and put them on a plate in the freezer. The goal is to have the lard be at least semi-frozen. This will ensure that the dough doesn't get over processed and will result the flakiest crust ever! I usually like to measure all of the dry ingredients in the bowl of my food processor. Pulse dry ingredients making sure all of the components are mixed evenly. Put the entire bowl in the freezer. After everything is very cold put the bowl on the processor and add the cubes of lard. Pulse once or twice to evenly coat the cubes of lard in flour. Add 4 teaspoons of cider vinegar to the 1/4 cup of ice water. While hitting the pulse button slowly drizzle the liquid into the feed shoot. Continue to pulse and pause, pulse and pause, just until the bulk of the dough comes together and pulls away from the sides of the bowl forming a loose ball. Remove pastry onto a sheet of plastic wrap and fold the plastic over the dough. Form into a flat round disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap a place covered dough into the freezer. Freeze the pastry for at least 1/2 hour. Remove dough onto a generously floured board and pound out the dough 3-4 times with a floured rolling pin from right to left, or left to right which ever direction you prefer to go making sure to keep the dough in a fairly round shape. Lift the dough and rotate a quarter turn. Pound the dough again in the same manner. Quarter turn the dough again and start rolling from center to top then from center to bottom. Then center to left and then center to right edge of dough. This method will ensure that the dough rolls out evenly round. Quarter turn dough again and continue until you reach your desired shape.

Place rolling pin across the center of the pastry and fold half of the dough over the rolling pin. Using the rolling pin the ease the weight of the dough lift the pastry and slide a pie pan under the dough centering the pie pan. Roll the crust off of the pin carefully to completely cover the pan with the pastry. Gently lift the outermost edge of the pastry easing the dough in the pan to form in onto the sides of the pan until the pan in evenly lined with the pastry. Ultimately you will want to trim the bottom crust 1 inch from the edge of the pie pan.

Fill the crust with you favorite sweet or savory filling and prepare the top crust in the same way. Using the rolling pin method place the top crust over the entire pie encasing you filling. Trim top crust to 1 inch over the outer edge of the pan. Lifting the bottom crust slightly off of the edge of the pan roll under a two inch section of pastry tucking the top crust under the bottom. Continue all the way around the pie and press edges with a fork, flute the edges, or what ever it is you do but, remember to cut steam vents into the top of your pie. You may want to brush the top with a wash of 1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons of water. This will help hold sugars, salts, spices or seeds in place as the pie is baking. I almost never egg wash any of my pies.