The Fabulous Fisher Fourth of July Peach with Ginger Pie

This pie is my mother's recipe with a couple changes. She's the Pie Lady at the Minnetrista Farmers' Market, so I feel that I did start out with an unfair advantage, when it came to the pie contest. I just got lucky in the mom department!

The crust:

1/3 c. Crisco

1 c. flour

a pinch of salt

3-4 T cold water

The filling:

4-8 peaches

3/4 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

The topping:

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

sugar to taste

crystallized ginger

Instructions:

1. Use a fork to incorporate the Crisco into the salt and flour. Add water little by little until the crust makes a ball.
2. Roll out pie crust and place in pie pan. Make holes for the steam to escape by puncturing the bottom of the crust with a fork.
3. Bake the crust in a 350-degree oven for 15-17 minutes. Let cool.
4. While the crust is baking, peel all of the peaches and remove their pits. You can do a quick blanching to get the skin off, or just peel them with a paring knife.
5. Slice half of the peaches; puree the other half of the peaches into the blender or mash them with a fork.
6. Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a microwaveable bowl. Add the peach puree to this mixture and stir.
7. Microwave the peach mixture on high for around 2 minutes. Stir and then microwave for 1 minute more, until the glaze is thickened. Let the glaze cool.
8. Arrange sliced peaches in baked pie crust and pour the glaze over the peaches.
9. Whip the cream, adding the sugar to taste.
10. Sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger!

The Fabulous Fisher Fourth of July Peach with Ginger Pie

This pie is my mother's recipe with a couple changes. She's the Pie Lady at the Minnetrista Farmers' Market, so I feel that I did start out with an unfair advantage, when it came to the pie contest. I just got lucky in the mom department!

The crust:

1/3 c. Crisco

1 c. flour

a pinch of salt

3-4 T cold water

The filling:

4-8 peaches

3/4 c. sugar

3 T. cornstarch

The topping:

1/2 pint heavy whipping cream

sugar to taste

crystallized ginger

Instructions:

1. Use a fork to incorporate the Crisco into the salt and flour. Add water little by little until the crust makes a ball.
2. Roll out pie crust and place in pie pan. Make holes for the steam to escape by puncturing the bottom of the crust with a fork.
3. Bake the crust in a 350-degree oven for 15-17 minutes. Let cool.
4. While the crust is baking, peel all of the peaches and remove their pits. You can do a quick blanching to get the skin off, or just peel them with a paring knife.
5. Slice half of the peaches; puree the other half of the peaches into the blender or mash them with a fork.
6. Whisk together the sugar and cornstarch in a microwaveable bowl. Add the peach puree to this mixture and stir.
7. Microwave the peach mixture on high for around 2 minutes. Stir and then microwave for 1 minute more, until the glaze is thickened. Let the glaze cool.
8. Arrange sliced peaches in baked pie crust and pour the glaze over the peaches.
9. Whip the cream, adding the sugar to taste.
10. Sprinkle with chopped crystallized ginger!

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!

Sour cream rhubarb pie

This pie combines local Ontario rhubarb and sour cream made from 100% Ontario milk.

































































I make sour cream raisin bars, which is one of the best desserts and a favorite amongst my friends, so when I saw this recipe I had to try it. I used two friends and Devin as taste testers, they said the pie was tasty, specifically the tartness from the rhubarb and the creamy sour cream was a great combo. The crumb topping was really nice. I served the pie when it was still a little warm - I would not do this! It is 100 times better after it has chilled. Have a slice with coffee in the morning.

PS. I used fat free sour cream and no one noticed!