wow, another weekend just whooshed by, gone in what feels like an instant; good thing we made the most of it. we ended our week with our usual friday afternoon date—bike errands (we really enjoy this getaway, hee-hee!). first stop: the post office, our saddlebags loaded high with the international mailing of our june BNK club club shipment (the USA shipment goes by car—too big for the bikes!). after that we biked to the grocery stores, bank, and library to complete our weekly errands and food shopping.
then, after a quick supper, it was off to the races—literally
i participated in my first glow run, a nighttime 5K race that started at 9:30 pm to raise funds in support of our local domestic violence project.
it was still just a little light at the start line, but the stars were beginning to pop out; everyone was enjoying the evening weather which couldn’t have been lovelier. we are all seriously still awed by nice weather; i don’t know if we’ll ever get over the winter we had, haha.
what a lot of fun this was! i had already signed up for the next one and so glad i did.
after the race, i got myself home to bed because i had to get up early the next day to run another one, this time a 10K . i didn’t take any pictures at that event, unfortunately; i got to the race just before start time and had to leave right after. i ran well in both events, however, which made me feel like i am finally getting used to doing these shorter runs. after all that training for the long races in april, i was out of practice for the short ones.
almost as soon as i crossed the finish line, i headed for my saturday yoga class which i hate to miss—it’s a great way follow up on the busy work week and at the same time, launch the weekend with some peaceful centering. back home i took a much needed nap to get ready for the rest of my weekend agenda.
i did a lot of knitting and pattern work this weekend, but all focused on a secret project, so i can’t share that with you, but hang on—i think you’ll enjoy what is coming.
i had a big afternoon of cooking planned because i’d invited a few friends over for sunday supper. i had a boatload of vegetables to cut up for the ciambotta i mentioned the oner day. never fear—you do NOT need to prep this much food for your ciambotta; this is just me cooking for an army as usual. i cannot help myself; i love having leftovers, preferably enough to freeze for another meal (or two).
and, cooking a big amount gave me a chance to finally use the big enameled pot my mom gave us for christmas a few years ago. it was stored in the basement for a long while because we didn’t have room in our old kitchen cabinet for it. we finally unpacked it a couple of weeks ago and i’ve been itching to use it.
ciambotta is a wonderfully summery dish to cook with seasonal vegetables. though it’s not quite time to be picking those from our own garden, they are starting to come into the stores from the south and west. i think every mediterranean cuisine has a version of this dish—it is related to ratatouille, pistou, and possibly even some tanginess.
the essential ingredients are summer squashes, peppers, potatoes, onions, celery, garlic, and basil; carrots and eggplant are also used by some cooks (i like everything in mine, haha). it’s both light and satisfying; the root vegetables make a hearty base and all the rest create a fresh, summery flavor. it’s a great main dish or side dish; i served it with chunks of bread and a piece of fish atop for one-dish meal.
once the ciambotta was bubbling in its pot, i turned my attention to preparing for a dessert. it’s a little before our local berry season just now, but again, there are wonderful strawberries from the south available in the market and the price is good. i bought two boxes on friday to put together with this
to make my favorite early summer pie—strawberry rhubarb (every time i say strawberry rhubarb my mouth waters). i used the same recipe i made last year because it turned out so well—i especially liked the filling.
once you string the rhubarb, cut it into chunks and steam it in a syrup made from juice and sugar—just long enough to make the rhubarb tender
lift it out and thicken the syrup with some cornstarch.
blend the cooked rhubarb with the berries and syrup; add some butter and liqueur. at this point, i refrigerated the filling so i could bake the pie closer to our dinner time. i prepared the crust and put that in the fridge to chill as well.
by the end of the evening, i had everything cooked except to sauté the fish and put the pie together.
on sunday afternoon i put the pie together and got it in the oven. still trying to get there perfect gluten free crust, i tried a tip sent by a reader for adding extra water. i’m not sure i love the resulting texture, but it did make the crust easier to handle; food for thought in my next experiments. another note—while i like the flavor of a very fresh-baked pie, this one was very runny, so it might have been batter to bake it in the morning, chill it for a bit once it cooled, then warm it up for dinner. another thing to experiment with . . .
speaking of pie experiments and the impending berry season, have i got a book for you, thanks to our friend nathalie.
another winner from the culinary institute of america (or CIA), pies and tarts. i received this book about two months back and have been saving it for this very moment. i love the CIA cookbooks because they provide so much focused and practical information to read, as well as many options for beautifying my cooking and baking.
the book starts off with an introduction to equipment and tools—not that you need all this to make pie, but so that you’ll know what they are and whether you need them.
following that is a discussion of ingredients, both those you’ll want in your pantry and those you might want to shop for as needed. thereat e pages of discussion about flours, filling ingredients, and garnishes.
the next chapter is extremely important and a great read. while the recipe for the pie crust i learned to make at home is embedded in my soul and (fortunately) also pretty terrific in taste and texture, i have lately had detour from using wheat in my pie crust so i am once again a student of all things dough related.
while this book does not contain recipes or information specifically for gluten free users, it does contain excellent dough-making and baking information, which i’m sure will be useful to me in my quest for good gluten-free dough (not to mention the absolutely drool-worthy fillings and garnishes to come later in the book).
the way that you handle pie dough is really important, so i was very happy to see process demonstrated in step-by-step illustrations over several pages
with treatments for the edging at the end, which included photos of some i had not seen before, but will definitely be trying.
i was one of those kids that would, whenever my mom suggested baking a pie as a way to keep me busy, pore over the cookbook for ideas, finally settling on the most elaborately trimmed crust and beg to make THAT. naturally my mom, envisioning a whole day of messy, tedious futzing with too many tools, resulting in a less than artful finish, would suggest that we just do a regular fluted crust. later i would come to understand her reluctance for woven top crusts and rims of cutout leaves (can you spell T-I-M-E S-U-C-K?), but would continue to admire prettier trims in cookbook photographs.
and finally, i have a book that offers the best of both worlds—clever new-to-me ideas for trimming pie rims that don’t require special tools or lots of time. love.
once the subject of pie crust is exhausted, it is on to the recipes and what a parade it is, starting—naturally—with the fruits. oh my. i had to chuckle when i saw that the last recipe in this chapter is concord grape pie, over which we have shamed ourselves several times at nathalie’s table. hey, go US.
see what i mean? the crust in that last photo of the blueberry pie is just brilliant—both festive and so easy; perfect for fourth of july. i could do that (and so could my mom, even in the heyday of our household capacity).
after the fruits there are chapters on cream and custard pies—everything from pumpkin (my favorite) to coconut and so many more i never thought of.
that apple cider custard pie is SO going on my list. this is one of the best things about this book—getting new ideas for future baking. while david tends to like repeating recipes he knows he likes, i love variety, so i compromise by trying new variations of old favorites (yes, sometimes it “backfires” and i’m “stuck” with a whole pie or cake that only i like, haha).
and then there are the chapters on nuts and chocolate—well of course they require their own space; they might even require their own kingdom, but you can’t do that in a book.
i never really thought about it much, but was surprised to learn that there actually IS such a thing as goober pie; i guess i thought that was just a silly food in a song . . .
in fact, these chapters are rich with recipes for nut and chocolate pies that i had not even considered, but which i’m sure will make david (and our dear kimkimkim) weak at the knees. time to start planning her next visit . . .
i was extremely happy to see a chapter devoted to savory pies. much as i talk about sweet pies and love to bake them, we really are not much for eating desserts when we’re alone. but savory pies are a favorite for us, especially when looking for ideas to use garden offerings. and i know for you and many other friends, a great chicken pot pie is never a thing to turn down.
but savory pies do not just include quiche (though there are several yummy recipes included for that)—featured also are empanadas, galettes, and tarts made with all manner of vegetables and legumes. definitely a chapter that deserves more exploration on my part.
the book finishes with a roundup of garnishes, toppings, serving ideas, and storage advice. this is not to be missed—many pies fail at the very last by being served too hot or too cold, wrapped too tightly, or with a less than edible meringue on top. included here is plenty of great information to make the perfect presentation and do the right thing with leftovers.
as usual, many illustrations are provided so you can see what they are talking about and make your own choices accordingly. i love that photo comparing the various washes; i’ve never seen them displayed side by side and now i can really see the differences between them.
pies and tarts is a terrific book, just one of the many i’ve read from the CIA collection. if you don’t know anything about baking pie but would like to, this would be a wonderful volume to obtain; there is great reading AND great recipes.
now, here’s the real dessert—nathalie has graciously offered a free copy of pies and tarts for a blog giveaway—yay!! if you’d like a chance to win it, leave a comment at the end of this post by 9 pm EDST on friday june 13th, naming your favorite pie (don’t paste in a link or it will go to the SPAM folder). we will announce the winner soon after.
as for our own strawberry rhubarb piece of heaven, it was very well received despite its appearance; the flavor was divine, if i might say so myself (i mean let’s face it, the berries and rhubarb did all the work!). and now i know that next time, a bit of chilling will help contain that little problem of runnyness.
ok, i gotta dash to an appointment; i won’t even proofread for now; please forgive any typos in advance!
145 thoughts on “berry fine”
The book looks great (as does all your cooking, as usual)!
Hard to pick a favorite pie, but I’d go with lemon meringue in a pinch.
Wonderful book! I too love everything from the CIA. I would have to say my favorite pie is an old Italian Easter specialty, ‘Ricotta Pie’. One given to a family member going home on a 4 hour train ride never made it there! I was sent a photo from the train of the pie being eaten right from the pie plate with a plastic fork from the club car! Another wonderful cookbook filled with original recipes and lots of information is Flour and Flour, Too. Both are from the famous Flour Bakery in Boston. Check it out!
Great book! I love strawberry rhubarb pie but have never made it before!
My favorite pie is Wild Blackberry Pie (a smaller blackberry fruit which grows in the Northwest). My mom made 32 pies for our wedding (which was 25 years ago this past week)!
Well, it depends on the time of year! Right now, I love strawberry-rhubarb (I’ve made 3 strawberry-rhubarb-based desserts in the last week!), but soon, I’ll be watching for the moment when both apricots and cherries are available, to make apricot-cherry pie. And I love pumpkin in the fall! But if you made me choose just one, like Diana just above me, I’d say lemon meringue.
Oh, I need to choose just one? Probably lemon meringue, hot from the oven. Close seconds are chocolate pecan and blueberry peach. yum!
I think I have the same cooking pot (le creuset?) If I could only have one cooking item, that would be it. So very useful.
My Kate likes strawberry pie and peach cobbler equally. I love chocolate. Just turned 11, she cooks all the time and would LOVE that cookbook!
My favorite summer pie is peach; favorite winter pie is French silk. I don’t want to know what it says about me, that I have a mental list of “summer” pies and “winter” pies. 🙂
Mmmm, pie! I always wanted pie instead of cake for my birthday and after I left home, my traditional welcome home meal was fried chicken and apple pie made with Gravenstein apples from my dad’s trees–the best for tartness and firmness but not readily available commercially, alas.
Now I’m craving pie!!!! YUM. My 2 favorite pies are apple and lemon chess. Love them both. I learned to make an apple pie when I was 5 and I have such warm and loving memories of pie making with my Mother and Grandmother. Lemon chess came later in my life. Love that cold, cold, cold on a warm summer day.
I like all pies. But my favorite is chocolate cream pie and a fruit tart.
I have a big thing for peach pie, mmmmm. This was a delightful column Ann, thank you for the good read.
My parents were both French Canadian in background. One of my Grandmothers always baked a meat pie, Tourtiere, as part of Christmas dinner. That pie, more than any other, brings back sharp memories. I’d make one for myself, but it probably wouldn’t be the same.
My favourite pie is one my Mum used to bake around Christmas time – sweet mincemeat (do you have that in the USA?) and apples; it’s such a Christmassy combination, just thinking about it I can almost hear those sleigh bells!
I love cherry pie, and maybe if I had a really good book to help me get the piecrust right, I’d actually make some.
it’s a tossup between lemon meringue pie and Amana blackberry sour cream pie. I think. 🙂
I love to make pies as well. In the winter my favorite pie is chicken pot pie, and in the summer I love blueberry pie with a little vanilla ice cream on the side.
My most favorite pie is French Silk. Sooo good! I am also gluten free and have not found a satisfactory pie crust. If you perfect a recipe, please post it.
my oh my I love pie! I love anything baked in a pie but my absolute favorite is apple pie. years ago I found an awesome recipe in the magazine portion of our local newspaper that uses half cold water and half cider vinegar in the crust and have used it ever since. yum! these days I’m married to a guy who is diabetic and gluten free so crust has been more of a challenge. still looking for the perfect one. would love the peruse that new book to help me along in.my quest. thanks for the chance to win one.
Cannot ever go wrong with a good old Apple Pie!
Nothing is better to me than a huge slice of coconut cream pie – and I found a good place in OKC on Saturday that was just excellent
My mouth is STILL watering from the strawberry/rhubarb pictures!
My mother used to make a fabulous apple and blackberry pie When I was growing up in England. I would have to say that is my favorite, even though I can’t make it as good as hers!
The book looks fabulous. If I don’t win I may just have to go get a copy!
My favorite pie is chocolate whiskey pecan pie. I just got a tart pan last year and have been having fun making fruit tarts with fresh fruit in season. So delicious!!
My favorite pie to make is apple slab pie. Always plenty to go around and usually some for breakfast. My favorite to eat is Tollhouse pie but it is too rich to make often.
Peach pie…hands down.. warm with vanilla ice cream. And if you have some blueberries, you can throw them in too.. 🙂
When we used to live on Cape Cod, back when it was still pretty rural, my mom used to make Quahog (sea clam) pie. It was just wonderful. Your comment about savory pies made me think of it.
Wow, that’s a tough question. I think I’d have to go with apple, but I do love blueberry, cherry, coconut cream pie, lemon meringue, pumpkin…the list could go on forever.
I’m a sucker for a really good, over filled, apple pie. But I like cherry (MI cherries!) a close second.
I think my fav has to be apple pie. Maybe with some vanilla ice cream on top, if I feel like splurging!
Oh, I don’t think I’ve met I pie I don’t like. I guess my favorite is apple, but my go-to seems to be a wonderful cranberry-almond pie from Gourmet Magazine that I’ve made over and over. It’s always a hit. What great photographs!
Give me blueberry pie any day. No, make that cherry. No blueberry. I can’t make up my mind! I’ll stick with cherry…that’ll be my favorite today. Tomorrow might be blueberry.
Blueberry maple is my favorite pie. Yum. Now I am hungry for pie!
My fav pie? I think I’ll echo what Dad always said: My favorite kind of pie is the piece in front of me. LOL
Do I have to pick just one????
Okay, lemon meringue no pecan, no wait, apple or maybe cherry or maybe chocolate cream and peach and key lime, chicken pot and berry – okay, okay anything called pie, that’s it, anything called pie! Or between two crusts or in one crusts or in a pie or tart shell. . . okay I can’t decide. . . does that disqualify me?
thanks Anne!
I’m an apple pie girl but I think I need to branch out more.
I have never mastered making a pie crust, but fortunately, my boyfriend makes a chocolate-bourbon pecan pie that is amazing. I’m also partial to a good broccoli cheddar quiche; maybe one slice of each, for dinner and dessert?
What a wonderful gift! Love baking pies! Apple is always good, so is lemon
meringue and also love sour cherry. Pumpkin is great for breakfast lunch and dinner. Love your blog pie entries almost as much as the knitting!
The glowstick run looks like fun!
Reading along, the CIA “Pies & Tarts” looked like a really great book – but did I really need it?
OH YES – the Apple Cider Custard Pie got me and we have our own apple
cider from our trees frozen to enjoy all year. This pie will be perfection!
Thanks so much for the great offer.
It is very hard to choose a favourite pie.
Today I choose a cherry galette.
Thanks for offering a contest!
Pie crust is indeed something I would like to learn how to make.
This is so timely! My goal this summer is to master pie making! I have been using a lot of different resources, but not this one. My favorite pie is raspberry rhubarb–a combination I associate with summers on the Olympic Peninsula in WA.
I don’t much like sweets, except for pure and simple chocolate, so I don’t really love pie, but I love the piecrust soaked with the juices of the pie (what we used to call “pie goober” in my part of Ohio), so crust is everything to me in a pie. I don’t think I could settle for gluten free,
Peach pie is my favorite. There is an apple and peach orchard near my home where you can get the best peaches I have ever eaten. My husband is an apple man. Tonight after supper we finished our strawberry rhubarb pie, sadly store bought, though still delicious. Thank you for sharing your kitchen time with us. It draws my husbands attention every time.
Hmmm…favorite pie? I made a sour cherry pie several times last summer that was pretty excellent. Hard to pass up anything chocolate though. Oh wait, I made a sour cream apple pie last Thanksgiving that was great too. Not sure I can pick just one! But my crust skills are still in development, so this cookbook would come in handy 🙂
Oh yum, yum, YUM!!
Strawberry rhubarb is a favorite as is marionberry, whenever I’m out west.
Thanks for the opportunity to win this incredible book.
It’s a close call….either coconut custard pie or dark chocolate pudding pie. I’m also still looking for a good gluten-free crust. I want to try a savory one I saw on bojongourmet.com. It’s a polenta crust. Check out her recipes, scroll down to the gluten-free ones; it’s the asparagus and shitake mushroom tart with polenta crust.
Another great pie book is Reader’s Digest Perfect Pies by Beth Allen. It has a great mix and match section that lists all the different crusts and what types of pies you can use them on. Very helpful.
My DH always says his favorite pie is ‘” more pie”. My personal favorite, hands down is raisin pie, but… I love to make pie of any kind…..as for a savory pie it chicken pot pie hot from the oven.
The cook book looks like a winner and just when I thought I had all the cook books I wanted. A contest is always fun and generous too. Hmmm, I bet you know that one can knit and read a cook book at the same time?????? smile.
Now this is fun! Hard for me to choose between blueberry & raspberry but I’ll give blueberry the nod. I need to perfect my crust-I still use the recipe on the Crisco can! Love that book-photos are fabulous. Sitting here knitting Fall Line Cowl and love being a BNK member. Keep up the great work-a real inspiration.
So many knitters are great bakers! My favourite pie is sugar pie, a Canadian specialty, made with maple syrup…basically like a giant butter tart without the currants. 🙂 The book looks lovely, thanks for the chance to win!
Sour cherry is my favorite!! Yum!
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