Blueberry Pie

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Blueberry Pie

Our small town fair is at the end of this month, and I’m trying to narrow down what I’m going to enter. The past few months, I’ve been working to strengthen my “pimp hand” in the pie department – and am proud of how far I’ve come. For someone who used to pull her hair out rolling out a pie crust, now I find myself cool as a cucumber making pies – whether it’s a fruit or creme filling.

The boys and I went blueberry picking last week. I was surprised at what good pickers the boys have turned out to be. At 5, I knew Andrew would be a big help. But, I wasn’t holding out much hope for William. I figured I’d have to go through his bucket and pick out all the less-than-desirable berries. But upon further inspection, he’d only picked the ripest, bluest of berries! We made blueberry pancakes the next morning, and then a blueberry pie that night. It’s always such a treat to make things with the fruit that you’ve harvested yourself!

This pie was declared “the best pie” Jon’s ever eaten, and my cupcake guinea pig Jamie said that it tasted just like her mom’s blueberry pie – which trust me, is an honor. The addition of lemon zest and juice ads a brightness, and cuts some of the sweetness. I also like the cornstarch as a thickener. I’d tried a recipe that used ground tapioca starch in the past, but I felt like the cornstarch held up much better when cut. While a bit of juice oozed out, the pie was still perfectly stuffed with blueberry filling after cutting.

I’m pretty sure this will be an entry in our local fair this year. Without a doubt, it’s blue ribbon worthy!

Blueberry Pie

2 rolled-out rounds of basic pie dough (homemade or store-bought)
4 cups blueberries
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, strained
3/4 cup sugar
4 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

Fold 1 dough round in half and carefully transfer to a 9-inch pie dish. Unfold and ease the round into the pan, without stretching it, and pat it firmly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Using kitchen scissors, trim the edge of the dough, leaving 3¿4 inch of overhang. Set the dough-lined pan aside, along with the other dough round, in a cool place until ready to use.

Place the blueberries in a large bowl, sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss to coat evenly. In a small bowl, stir together the sugar, cornstarch, lemon zest, salt and cinnamon. Sprinkle the sugar mixture over the berries and toss to distribute evenly. Immediately transfer to the dough-lined pan. Dot with the butter.

Fold the reserved dough round in half and carefully position it over half of the filled pie. Unfold and trim the edge neatly, leaving 1 inch of overhang, then fold the edge of the top round under the edge of the bottom round and crimp the edges to seal. Using a small, sharp knife, cut an asterisk 4 to 5 inches across in the center of the top to allow steam to escape during baking.

Refrigerate the pie until the dough is firm, 20 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 375°F.

Bake the pie until the crust is golden and the filling is thick and bubbling, 50 to 60 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely to set, 1 to 2 hours. Serve at room temperature or rewarm in a 350°F oven for 10 to 15 minutes just before serving.

Source: adapted from Williams-Sonoma, via Annie’s Eats

Raspberry-White Chocolate Ice Cream

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White Chocolate Raspberry-Swirl Ice Cream

The ice cream maker has been getting a workout lately. I finally purchased Dave Lebovitz’s “The Perfect Scoop”, and pretty much want to make every single recipe covered in it’s pages. But this white chocolate ice cream with a raspberry swirl was practically singing to me when I was thumbing through the book. I had to make it immediately!

It might have had something to do with the fact that I had a bunch of good white chocolate left over from Christmas, and that it’s summer – and the berries have been unbelievably gorgeous and irresistible. Whatever the reason, I’m so glad this got churned in our kitchen. The white chocolate lends and extra layer or sweetness and richness, but the tart raspberries cut right through it. I also liked the fact that the raspberries were mashed with a fork, and then added as-is – as opposed to being puréed and strained.

I hope everyone has a great weekend. After multiple days of rain, we’re hoping to get some sunshine. The boys have been itching to get back on the boat or to the beach all week long. Keep your fingers crossed for us!

Raspberry-White Chocolate Ice Cream

8 oz white chocolate, finely chopped
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
pinch salt
5 large egg yolks
2 cups heavy cream

For the raspberry swirl:
1 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp vodka

To make the raspberry swirl, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl (if you’re using frozen berries, let them thaw slightly first) and mash together with a fork until juicy but still with chunks of raspberries. Chill in your refrigerator.

To make the ice cream, add the chocolate to a large heatproof bowl, and set a mesh strainer on top of the bowl. Set aside.

Combine the milk, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan and heat just until warm.

Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks in a heatproof bowl. Slowly add the warm milk mixture to the egg yolks, whisking constantly. Pour back into the saucepan and set over medium heat. Stir constantly until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (about 170-175 F on an instant read thermometer). Pour through the strainer into the bowl with the white chocolate and stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Mix in the heavy cream.

Cover and refrigerate until chilled – at least 4 hours. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. As you transfer the ice cream to an airtight container, layer it with spoonfuls of the chilled raspberry mixture. Store in your freezer.

Source: adapted from The Perfect Scoop by Dave Lebovitz

Short Rib Cheesesteak Subs

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Short Rib Cheesesteak Subs

I’m kind of picky about my cheesesteak sandwiches. We have one sub shop on the island that has the best rendition. A few times I’ve tried to recreate them at home – they weren’t good. I suspect that it was the cut of beef I was using – usually a New York strip or ribeye, and they were just usually too chewy no matter how thinly I sliced.

Then I came across this recipe in last month’s Cooking Light (which, by the way…did anyone else dog-ear 92% of the magazine like I did?) and couldn’t wait to try it. I’d come across a 12 lb box of boneless short ribs at my local restaurant supply for an extremely reasonable price so it was perfect timing. The beef is seared and then rests while you get your peppers and onions going for topping.

And, the cheese sauce. Sharp cheddar and Dijon mustard in an ooey-gooey sauce? It doesn’t get any better than that kids. Pour any leftovers into a little serving dish on the side – perfect for dipping fries into. Or, just eat it with a spoon – I promise not to hold it against you…

Short Rib Cheesesteak Subs

1 French baguette
1/2 cup milk
1 Tbsp butter
1 tsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp salt, divided
4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tsp olive oil, divided
1 cup vertically sliced onion
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 large orange bell pepper, cut into strips
12 ounces boneless beef short ribs, trimmed and very thinly sliced
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Preheat broiler to high.

Cut bread in half lengthwise and again crosswise. Hollow out tops and bottoms of bread, leaving a 1/2-inch-thick shell. Place bread halves on a baking sheet, cut sides up. Broil 1 1/2 minutes or until toasted.

In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add flour and whisk for 2 minutes to cook out the flour flavor, then slowly pour in the milk, whisking constantly. Once mixture thickens, stir in the cheese until melted.

Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add onion, garlic, bell pepper, and 1/8 teaspoon salt; sauté 5 minutes or until tender. Remove onion mixture from pan; keep warm. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add beef, remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt, and black pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender.

Divide beef mixture evenly among bottom halves of bread; top with onion mixture. Drizzle cheese sauce evenly over sandwiches. Top with top halves of bread; cut each sandwich in half.

Source: adapted from Cooking Light, May 2013

Kohlrabi Slaw

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Kohlrabi Slaw

This was the first year that we’ve been a part of a crop share. Every Tuesday afternoon the boys and I take a ride up to Salisbury (about 30 minutes for us) and get our goodies for the week. We’re never sure what we’ll get, and it’s always exciting to find something that we haven’t tried before in the basket for the week.

Take kohlrabi for instance. I had no clue what do with it. Folks seemed to say it was like a cross between cabbage and broccoli – so I of course immediately thought of a slaw. I shredded the kohlrabi down and combined it with a small bag of pre-packaged broccoli slaw. I also  had a couple of green apples hanging around, so I shredded them and added as well. I loved, loved, loved the sweet crunch that they brought to the party.

I’m hoping we’ll continue to see kohlrabi in our baskets for another few weeks at least, I’m already brainstorming more uses for those big leafy bulbs!

Kohlrabi Slaw

2 Granny Smith apples, peeled and shredded
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
2 bulbs kohlrabi, peeled and shredded
1 (12 oz.) package broccoli slaw
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup greek yogurt
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

Toss the shredded apples with lemon juice to prevent browning.

In a large bowl whisk the mayonnaise, yogurt, vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper together. Add the kohlrabi, broccoli slaw, and apples. Toss with the dressing to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.