Key Lime Pie-- Pie Challenge-- June/July 2011

I know, I know-- the zucchini pie could have done double duty as both local food AND pie, but then I wouldn't get to share this EXTREMELY EASY key lime pie with you beautiful people. And that? Would be criminal. CRIMINAL, I say. This pie, like so many other wonderful things, comes from good ol' Pioneer Woman. I have managed to make this super-simple pie even easier, though, with a judicious purchase: pre-squeezed key lime juice. It's a revelation, I tell you.

• Crust
• 18 whole Graham Crackers (the 4-section Large Pieces)
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup Butter, Melted
• _____
• Filling
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Lime Zest
• 1/2 cup Lime Juice
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 1 can (14 Oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk

Now, for the crust-- I have, in the past, been known to simply buy the pre-made graham cracker crust. There is nothing wrong with this, but, to be honest, it's on the pricey side. You can make your own (even more) delicious version very easily. Crush up a whole heap of graham crackers (you can use a food processor, but I just popped them into a gallon-sized baggie and beat 'em to death with a rolling pin-- it was very therapeutic), and mix the crumbs with some sugar and butter. Press the mixture into a pie plate, and bake this for 5-7 minutes.



As the crust bakes (doesn't that sound like the name of a cooking-related soap opera? No? Never mind), mix the filling. This takes MOMENTS if you use the lovely bottle of Key Lime Juice that can be found in the jelly aisle at the grocery store. Seriously. I think it took longer to open the can of sweetened condensed milk than it took to put together the rest of the filling. Anyway. Stir it up, and then pour it into the baked crust. Pop the whole shebang into the already heated oven, and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow the pie to cool, and then refrigerate it for at least an hour.


At this point, the pie is gorgeous. You could eat it just like this, or, if you're feeling fancy, you could make some lovely homemade whipped cream as you wait for it to cool. Or, you could buy a tub of Cool Whip and call it a day. Go on-- guess which option I chose. No matter what you choose to top the pie, it will be delicious. I promise. See?



A sidenote-- a few weeks later, I made the same pie with a crushed pretzel crust. It was an interesting take on this particular pie; the salt contrasted nicely with the sweet. Give it a shot.

Key Lime Pie-- Pie Challenge-- June/July 2011

I know, I know-- the zucchini pie could have done double duty as both local food AND pie, but then I wouldn't get to share this EXTREMELY EASY key lime pie with you beautiful people. And that? Would be criminal. CRIMINAL, I say. This pie, like so many other wonderful things, comes from good ol' Pioneer Woman. I have managed to make this super-simple pie even easier, though, with a judicious purchase: pre-squeezed key lime juice. It's a revelation, I tell you.

• Crust
• 18 whole Graham Crackers (the 4-section Large Pieces)
• 1/3 cup Sugar
• 1/3 cup Butter, Melted
• _____
• Filling
• 1 Tablespoon (heaping) Lime Zest
• 1/2 cup Lime Juice
• 2 whole Egg Yolks
• 1 can (14 Oz) Sweetened Condensed Milk

Now, for the crust-- I have, in the past, been known to simply buy the pre-made graham cracker crust. There is nothing wrong with this, but, to be honest, it's on the pricey side. You can make your own (even more) delicious version very easily. Crush up a whole heap of graham crackers (you can use a food processor, but I just popped them into a gallon-sized baggie and beat 'em to death with a rolling pin-- it was very therapeutic), and mix the crumbs with some sugar and butter. Press the mixture into a pie plate, and bake this for 5-7 minutes.



As the crust bakes (doesn't that sound like the name of a cooking-related soap opera? No? Never mind), mix the filling. This takes MOMENTS if you use the lovely bottle of Key Lime Juice that can be found in the jelly aisle at the grocery store. Seriously. I think it took longer to open the can of sweetened condensed milk than it took to put together the rest of the filling. Anyway. Stir it up, and then pour it into the baked crust. Pop the whole shebang into the already heated oven, and bake for another 15 minutes. Allow the pie to cool, and then refrigerate it for at least an hour.


At this point, the pie is gorgeous. You could eat it just like this, or, if you're feeling fancy, you could make some lovely homemade whipped cream as you wait for it to cool. Or, you could buy a tub of Cool Whip and call it a day. Go on-- guess which option I chose. No matter what you choose to top the pie, it will be delicious. I promise. See?



A sidenote-- a few weeks later, I made the same pie with a crushed pretzel crust. It was an interesting take on this particular pie; the salt contrasted nicely with the sweet. Give it a shot.

Savory Zucchini Pie-- Local Food-- June/July 2011

Pie is one of my favorite things, in spite of my dad's efforts to convince us when we were small that "pie is bad for children". While the dessert-y pie is fantastic, I do enjoy the occasional savory pie. I came across this recipe when my ol' pal Molly Schaller (hi, Molly!) was bemoaning the excess zucchini that came with her CSA share a few years ago. One of my very favorite pastimes is perusing Tasty Kitchen, a fabulous community of home cooks who are willing to share their best recipes. There, I discovered this gem-- Savory Zucchini Pie. It looked delicious, so I forwarded to Molly, and then I decided to tackle it myself. Oh, am I glad I did... it quickly became one of our favorite summer dishes. I made this particular pie with lovely local zucchini and yellow squash, so it will serve as my "local food" entry for the month. Check it out.

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 cups Zucchini, Sliced And Halved If Large
• 1 whole Onion, Sliced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ½ teaspoons Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded And Divided
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten
• 8 ounces, weight Tube Crescent Rolls
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

It's quite adaptable-- I've used a mix of yellow and green squash, and I have also played a bit with the seasoning, sometimes using fresh rosemary and thyme. It's good no matter what I decide to do to it. I usually reduce the amount of butter for sauteeing, but, hell-- you only live once. Toss half a stick in and, once it's melted, add chopped onions, garlic, and zucchini. Saute until tender, and then add seasoning, and saute a little longer.

As the veggies soften, go ahead and spray a pie plate and then press the crescent rolls into a vague pie sort of shape. Don't kill yourself making it look perfect-- if it's not, call it rustic and call it a day. Once you've accomplished this, brush some dijon mustard onto the crust. (If you can't find your brush and must resort to using a weird tiny spatula, that's cool-- in fact, I'd feel a lot better about myself if you'd do that.)



Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, add the cooked veggies, and stir 'em about. Beat in a cup of cheese, and then pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate.

Top this with the additional cheese, and stick the pie in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees. Pull it out, and serve immediately.


I brought this to serve to my family at my mom and dad's house, and here's the general verdict:



Everybody enjoyed it, except for the children, but that was no surprise-- it didn't have bacon, so Simon wouldn't eat it, and Natalie has always viewed it with suspicion. But! Grownups enjoyed it! Try it! It's delicious!

Savory Zucchini Pie-- Local Food-- June/July 2011

Pie is one of my favorite things, in spite of my dad's efforts to convince us when we were small that "pie is bad for children". While the dessert-y pie is fantastic, I do enjoy the occasional savory pie. I came across this recipe when my ol' pal Molly Schaller (hi, Molly!) was bemoaning the excess zucchini that came with her CSA share a few years ago. One of my very favorite pastimes is perusing Tasty Kitchen, a fabulous community of home cooks who are willing to share their best recipes. There, I discovered this gem-- Savory Zucchini Pie. It looked delicious, so I forwarded to Molly, and then I decided to tackle it myself. Oh, am I glad I did... it quickly became one of our favorite summer dishes. I made this particular pie with lovely local zucchini and yellow squash, so it will serve as my "local food" entry for the month. Check it out.

• 4 Tablespoons Butter
• 4 cups Zucchini, Sliced And Halved If Large
• 1 whole Onion, Sliced
• 2 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ½ teaspoons Fresh Ground Pepper
• 1 teaspoon Italian Seasonings
• 2 cups Cheddar Cheese, Shredded And Divided
• 2 whole Eggs Beaten
• 8 ounces, weight Tube Crescent Rolls
• 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

It's quite adaptable-- I've used a mix of yellow and green squash, and I have also played a bit with the seasoning, sometimes using fresh rosemary and thyme. It's good no matter what I decide to do to it. I usually reduce the amount of butter for sauteeing, but, hell-- you only live once. Toss half a stick in and, once it's melted, add chopped onions, garlic, and zucchini. Saute until tender, and then add seasoning, and saute a little longer.

As the veggies soften, go ahead and spray a pie plate and then press the crescent rolls into a vague pie sort of shape. Don't kill yourself making it look perfect-- if it's not, call it rustic and call it a day. Once you've accomplished this, brush some dijon mustard onto the crust. (If you can't find your brush and must resort to using a weird tiny spatula, that's cool-- in fact, I'd feel a lot better about myself if you'd do that.)



Beat the eggs in a separate bowl, add the cooked veggies, and stir 'em about. Beat in a cup of cheese, and then pour the mixture into the prepared pie plate.

Top this with the additional cheese, and stick the pie in the oven for 20-25 minutes at 375 degrees. Pull it out, and serve immediately.


I brought this to serve to my family at my mom and dad's house, and here's the general verdict:



Everybody enjoyed it, except for the children, but that was no surprise-- it didn't have bacon, so Simon wouldn't eat it, and Natalie has always viewed it with suspicion. But! Grownups enjoyed it! Try it! It's delicious!