PIE!

Nothing says summer to me like pie. I love the "idea" of pie, the whole sort of image it conjures up. I see county fairs and picnics - bakers bringing their best pie to show off.

I didn't set out to make pie this weekend; in fact, I was going to make one of the delicious-sounding (and looking) fruity bar cookie recipes in the July issue of Bon Appetit. But there were two things that triggered my pie making event. First, I came across a recipe for blueberry pie in a magazine I never read (Family Circle -I was stuck in a doctor's office with very slim pickins' for reading material). And second, I remembered an interview with Michelle Obama in O Magazine shortly after the inauguration where she was just gushing about the pie in the White House. Not just how good the pie was, but the constant availability of it. So I thought to myself, pie! And just to seal the deal, beautiful, big blueberries are everywhere right now.

Because I didn't want to spend one more second inside than I had to (bee-utiful weather here this weekend), I drastically cut corners and used packaged, refrigerated pie crusts (I know, please don't hate me). Once I got over my shame and guilt (in about 3 seconds), I was able to whip the filling together in a flash. The recipe calls for a lattice top, but frankly if I wasn't going to spend time making my own crust, I certainly wasn't going to detract from my outdoor time by cutting little strips of dough and weaving them together. I added some cinnamon and fresh nutmeg to the blueberry mixture because it just seemed like the right thing to do.

Let me tell you, this was PIE in every delicious sense of the word. Nothing but sweet, juicy blueberries in a pretty decent crust. I didn't glom it up with too many extraneous flavors, or ice cream, or even a dollop of creme fraiche. Just the berries, ma'am. That's all you need.

One housekeeping issue before we get to the recipe: The Cook's Tour is getting it's own web site address! Yes, we've taken the plunge and purchased our own URL. The current web site should transition seamlessly and you will probably never notice anything, but please make note of our new address: www.cookstour.net Thank you!

Blueberry Pie (adapted from Family Circle Magazine, June 2009)

1 package refrigerated rolled-out pie crusts (or your own pie crust recipe)

2 packages (1 pint each) blueberries

2/3 C plus 1 t sugar

1/4 C cornstarch

dash cinnamon

dash fresh nutmeg

1 t fresh lemon zest

2 TB fresh lemon juice

1 egg white, lightly beaten

Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roll crusts out slightly. Fit one crust into a 9 inch deep-dish pie plate. Set aside second crust.

In a large bowl, toss blueberries, 2/3 C of the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg, lemon zest and juice. Let stand 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, with a pastry cutter or pizza cutter, cut remaining crust into 1/2 inch wide strips.

Transfer blueberry mixture to crust-lined pie plate. Weave a lattice top, alternating strips of crust. Crimp edges to seal. Brush crust with egg white, sprinkle with remaining teaspoon of sugar.

Bake pie at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and continue to bake for an additional 45-50 minutes or until center is bubbly and crust is golden (tent with foil if browning too quickly). Serve slightly warm with vanilla ice cream, if desired.