Blueberry Pie…

There are times my daughter, Taylor just makes me laugh at her inconsistency. One day last week, I was making a smoothie and I asked if she wanted some. I told her the major ingredient was blueberries.  My daughter said “uhm no. I don’t like blueberries.” I replied to her "since when?" I was then told that she only like blueberries in muffins. I shook my head and dropped the subject.

On Sunday, I was in the kitchen, Taylor approached me and asked when I was going to make “that pie” she likes. I am puzzled and ask what pie? She says to me “Ya know the pie with fruit?” I said “the blueberry pie?” “No, Mommy the pie with the reddish purplish sauce to it?” I just could not resist dragging this conversation out and asked her several questions. I then told her, I could make the pie next weekend, but I was afraid she would not be able to eat it since it was blueberry and she didn’t like them. Taylor’s response was comical. She did a quick turn around and told me she liked blueberries, and could I make the pie this coming weekend.

 The recipe I use is from the Better Homes and Gardens, New Cook Book. For this recipe, I do make the crust from scratch, but feel free to use a store bought piecrust. I suggest getting the refrigerated in a box crust and not the frozen crust, since you need a top and bottom. I always get compliments with this recipe, so I have not dared to tinker with it.

If you would like to see the recipe, click here

 

Fresh Strawberry Pie…

Strawberries have shown up in the grocery stores, though they are still over priced, I could not help but get some.

I have leftover berries from last summer in my freezer; I have been guarding from my son Tyler. Tyler loves strawberries as much as I do. He will sneak them from the freezer and eat them frozen, and has been known to steal a jar of my freezer jam. I have had a bag of strawberries hidden and there are just enough left to make the glaze for strawberry pie.

The glaze is so simple and tasty. The only way I will buy the pre-packaged stuff again is if I am be held hostage!

To make the fresh strawberry pie, first you need a piecrust. If you use a frozen or fresh crust from the store, bake it according to the directions.

Next, you need to make Strawberry Pie Glaze… The recipe calls for food coloring. I have never added to my glaze, it is your choice.

Ingredients:

1cup fresh whole strawberries, hulled, divided

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup water

Few drops red food coloring, optional

Directions:

Mash strawberries

In a saucepan, combine sugar and cornstarch stir in water and mashed berries.

Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Stir in food coloring if desired.

 Cook and stir 3 minutes more. Cool for 10 minutes.

To assemble the pie…

Wash and hull 4 ½ - 5 cups fresh whole strawberries

Spread 1/3 cup glaze over bottom of cooked piecrust.

Arrange strawberries in the piecrust then spoon the remaining glaze over berries.

 Chill for 1-2 hours, top with whipped cream.

If you want to serve to your some special on Valentine’s Day, serve the pie with Moscato or a sweet Riesling wine.

  

Lemon Meringue Pie...

I made a lemon meringue pie on Christmas Eve. My dad told me how good it my stepmother’s recipe was. I got the recipe the other day except for the cream of tartar the recipe is basically same. From what I can tell if came from a April 1977, McCall’s magazine

When I made mine, I squeezed fresh lemon juice and it made a big difference in taste from bottled lemon juice.

You know how I feel about making piecrust, but I did make it from scratch, it was Christmas after all.

 

Ingredients:

    pie crust (9 inch)

---LEMON FILLING---

1/4  teaspoon  cornstarch

3  tablespoons  flour

1 3/4  cups  sugar

1/4  tablespoon  salt

4    egg yolks, slightly beaten

1/2  cup  lemon juice

1  tablespoon  grated lemon peel

1  tablespoon  butter

 

---MERINGUE---

4    egg whites

1/4  tablespoon  cream of tartar

1/2  cup  sugar

 

Directions:
1. On lightly floured pastry cloth, roll the pastry to an 11-inch circle, rolling with light strokes from center to edge. Fold pastry in half; with fold in center, carefully transfer to a 9- inch pie plate. Unfold; fit into a pie plate, pressing gently toward the center. Fold edge of crust under, press into an upright rim. Crimp edge decoratively, using thumb and forefinger Refrigerate 1/2 hour. Preheat oven to 450F'. Prick entire surface evenly with fork. Bake 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool on rack.  
2. Make lemon filling: In medium saucepan, combine cornstarch, flour, 1 3/4 c sugar and salt, mixing well. Gradually add 2 cups water, stirring until smooth. Over medium heat, bring to boil, stirring occasionally; boil 1 minute, till shiny and translucent. Quickly stir some of hot mixture into yolks. Pour back into hot mixture; stir to blend. Return to heat; cook over low heat 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in lemon juice, lemon peel and butter. Pour into pie shell. Preheat oven to 400F'.


3. Make meringue: In medium bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Gradually beat in sugar, 2 tbsp. at a time, beating after each addition. Beat at high speed until stiff peaks form when beater is slowly raised. Spread meringue over lemon filling, carefully sealing to edge of crust and swirling the top decoratively. Bake 7 to 9 minutes, or until the meringue is golden brown. Let cool completely on rack- 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Serves 8. Cut with wet knife.

Tomatoes…

I know you are saying, “It is the end of the summer, why are you writing about tomatoes?”

Last fall we moved new part of the country, and the planting season starts later here. By the time, spring came around my son and I were craving to get our hands into the soil and plant a garden. We were not sure how much shade the trees surrounding the yard were going to give us. We settled on planting in buckets in case we had to rearrange for sunlight.

Every Saturday morning, I get up way to early and visit the local farmers market. One of the venders sells plants and during the spring has tomatoes. My son and I went a little wild and bought eight different varieties.

The tomatoes did ok, but with too much rain this year, a good percentage of the fruit rotted on the vine. We had one powerhouse producer called Jellybean. These little tomatoes look like red jellybeans and have a wonderful taste. Most of them did not make into the house; we would pop them in our mouth between swimming in the pool. 

Daily harvest of Jellybean tomatoes

Here we are now at the end of September, and my tomato plants have decided to go bonkers pumping out fruit. One plant produced three tomatoes the entire summer, now it has close to thirty good size green tomatoes.

So what should I do with them? I could fry them, but my family is not big on fried tomatoes. I cannot process them; I do not have a pressure cooker. I have made salsa; but I do not have a way to process it. I could be freeze them, but the freezer is bursting now with freezer jam and other tasty foodstuffs.

My only option is hope the tomatoes will a get a chance to ripen. Then, I can make the lovely Tomato Pie recipe I found over on Christy Jordan’s Southern Plate this summer. I have made this and it is good as written, but my family would not touch it.

If you would like the recipe here is the link http://www.southernplate.com/2012/06/tomato-pie.html

I personally did not care for the mayonnaise on top. Christy states you could not taste it, I did.  For my family to eat this I would follow the step of salting the tomatoes and letting them sit, delete the mayo, double the fresh basil and balsamic vinegar. Increase the layering while using Italian cheeses, like Mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, and a Smokey Provolone. This way would be making it more of a sauce less tomato pizza.

This is what makes cooking is so much fun, you get to tinker and adjust recipes to your preferences.

As always, pass this along to your friends!

http://ohthatisyummy.blogspot.com/

So you have roasted a whole chicken for dinner, what do you with the leftovers?

We all have a million and one recipes for chicken, it is so adaptable. When I roast a whole chicken, I pick every tinny tiny bit of meat off the bone I can. I might seem time consuming but between the wings, back, and those bits of the breastbones, you can gather almost a cup of meat. Why throw away enough food for another meal? Why throw away money?

You have played vulture and stripped the meat from the bones, now what? You can always use it in a salad, but have you thought about making a warm, fork licking, savory potpie? Now do not cringe and say "no, too much work" or "I don’t have time to make a potpie!" Ah but you do, and I promise it is easy to make. You can make it when you get home from work today if you have the ingredients.

I never made a potpie before because:

A.      I thought it was difficult and it intimidated me.

B.      I cannot make a beautiful piecrust to save my life. I keep trying, but it just is not blue ribbon, fair pretty.

C.      Always went to the store and bought frozen ones, not any more!

One day last winter, I sat and looked at recipes for Chicken Potpie. I then printed out my four favorite recipes, combined what I liked best about each to make one recipe.

Next came the piecrust. I can make a crust scratch, and do not even mind doing it. But what about when I am short on time or do not want to tackle making a piecrust? No problem, I cheat and go buy the dough already made. Mine still is not pretty, but I will only improve with practice.

My family loves this recipe and usually gorge themselves to the point there are no leftovers... pitty

Chicken potpie

Ingredients:

1 double piecrust dough for 9 inch pie (I used a Food Lion Brand)

1 cup boneless skinless chicken (you can use a breast, cut into small bite size pieces)

1 cup sliced carrots

1 small potato, peeled and cubed into bite size pieces

1/2 cup frozen peas

1 cup chopped celery

1 cup chopped onion

1/2 cup of butter (yes-real butter, unsalted would be best)

1/3 cup of all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon of salt*

2 teaspoon of pepper*

1 teaspoon of garlic* or one fresh minced clove

* I usually just eyeball and go by shakes of container, but those should be good estimates

2/3 cup of milk (1%)

2  chicken bouillon cubes (I use Knorr)

1 3/4 water drained from vegetables

1 can of Campbell’s cream of chicken soup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees

In saucepan, combine carrots, peas, potato, celery, salt, garlic and 1 teaspoon of pepper. (If using uncooked chicken add to pot) Add enough water to cover vegetables, add bouillon boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

In skillet over medium heat, melt butter and cook onions until soft and translucent.

 Drain off 1 ¾ cup of broth from the vegetables and reserve. Drain any remaining liquid from vegetables and set aside.

To your skillet, stir in flour and pepper then slowly stir in milk, cream of chicken soup then the reserved broth until well-blended making thick gravy.

Place bottom piecrust in pie plate; add chicken and vegetables making sure bottom is well covered. Pour hot liquid over mixture. (Depending on your pie plate you might have extra vegetables and gravy mixture. Reserve them, and pour over a baked potato the next day for a hearty lunch!)

 Place top crust over mixture, seal edges, and trim any excess. Make several slits in the top to allow steam to escape. Wrap edges of pie with foil to prevent burning.

Bake in preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.