Walking around the yard at Mom and Dad's

Easter on Martha's Vineyard - Sweet Neck Farm Oysters

This year I spent Easter with friends on Martha’s Vineyard. Many people think of the Vineyard as only a summer destination and while it is glorious at that time of year, fall, winter, and spring are quite spectacular, too.  We couldn’t have asked for better weather for our spring weekend and spent most of the time going on walks and driving around the island, enjoying the fact there were no crowds or traffic.

Oh, yeah...and there was a bit of eating going on, too.  Given that everyone in the house was a foodie (including two incredibly talented Boston chefs, Barbara and Kevin), we happily spent the days leading up to Easter Sunday gathering a feast of local foods – eggs and pork sausage from Packer Farm (where we also saw piglets that had been born less than 24 hours before), 

apple crumb pie from Eileen Blake’s on State Road, 

and racks of lamb from Allen Farm in Chilmark.  

But the surprise hit of the weekend were Sweet Neck Farm oysters, raised in the waters off Edgartown. 

I say surprise hit because we hadn’t planned on serving oysters and only a fortuitous dinner at a favorite Oak Bluffs restaurant sealed our fate.  I got to the island a day before everyone else with Curt, my friend since high school.  His family has had a house on MVI since the 1950’s and he has been generously inviting me to visit for years.  We decided to go to Offshore Ale for dinner on Friday night and while having burgers and a couple of their home brewed beers, I noticed a sign saying they were serving Martha’s Vineyard Sweet Neck oysters.  Neither of us had had them before so we decided to order a few.  We managed to get the last oysters of the night and were blown away by their sweet, clean flavor.

 

The next day on a whim I called Sweet Neck Farm to see if we could buy two dozen for Easter dinner.  I spoke to the owner, Jack Blake, and as luck would have it, he was in the middle of boxing oysters for shipping and told us we were welcome to stop by and pick some up.  Curt and I hopped in the car, drove to Edgartown, made a left at the jail (the prettiest jail you've ever seen), and found the land-based portion of their business on Norton Orchard Road.  Jack and his wife, Sue, work in a little white shed off the side of their house, preparing their oysters to be shipped to restaurants and wholesalers across the country.

Jack told us he was a scallop fisherman for years until there were no more scallops left to harvest.  He realized his future depended on sustainable harvests and switched to farming oysters.

The water-based portion of their operation is a one-acre site in Katama Bay.  Jack is as much inventor as fisherman and has designed an upweller raft that constantly moves the plankton-rich water through the oyster seed he purchases from a certified hatchery.  This continuous feeding of nutrients is what causes the oysters to grow and double in size weekly.  After ten weeks the oyster cage is hoisted out of the water onto the raft where they are placed in a Jack-designed tumbler.

 

The tumbler is a feature that helps set Sweet Necks apart from other oysters.  It is a cylindrical cage that spins partially in the water, tumbling the oysters against each other.  This action cleans them of fouling and removes the sharp edges of the shells.  Not only does this produce beautiful shells that are easier to handle while shucking, the chipping off of new shell growth produces a deeper cupped, stronger shell.

 

Finally, the tumbling shells are sprayed with pressurized water to remove silt from the crevices.  The end result is a pristine oyster.  Sweet Necks come in two sizes - cocktail and large - and are packed in boxes flat side up.  As Curt and I learned, if you keep oysters in this position in the refrigerator you can store them for at least a month.  That was a revelation to us; our trip to Edgartown for 24 oysters turned into a box of 100!

Just as important to me as how delicious and gorgeous Sweet Neck Farm oysters are is that they grow them in a way that is light on the environment; their upweller is tidal powered and all the machinery, including the tumbler, are powered by a wind turbine.  Sustainable farms tends to be the norm on the Vineyard and Jack and Sue's rank right up there with the best of them.

 

To be honest, we were so excited with our little surprise we didn’t give much thought to how we were going to serve the oysters beyond raw with a squeeze of lemon and maybe a dash of Tabasco.  And given how fresh and sweet they were I’m pretty sure everyone would have been perfectly happy to eat them just like that.

 

This was a moment when having a chef like Barbara in the house made a big, tasty difference.  She heard we had oysters, immediately got on the phone to Kevin who was out and about in the car, and asked him to pick up Prosecco and white wine vinegar so she could make her mignonette sauce.  He somehow managed to find stores open on Easter Sunday with those ingredients and brought them home.  Mignonette is simple to prepare and gives you the tang and heat of lemon and Tabasco but is much more sophisticated – a lovely accompaniment to a special oyster.

Oysters on the Half Shell with Sparkling Mignonette

From Stir by Barbara Lynch

Lucky To Have A Chef In The House Moment #2 - Kevin later took the asparagus we were roasting for dinner and tossed them with the leftover mignonette, adding wonderful flavor while wasting nothing (a sure sign of a successful chef and restaurant owner).  Perfection.  Did I pick the right friends to spend Easter with or what??

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

2 shallots, very finely chopped (about ½ cup)

½ cup Prosecco or other dry sparkling wine

½ cup white wine vinegar, preferably Chardonnay

1 teaspoon kosher salt

As many of your favorite oysters as you and your friends want to eat, rinsed and shucked

Using a fine-mesh strainer, sift the ground pepper and reserve only the coarsely ground pepper left behind in the strainer (If you include the finely ground pepper, the mignonette sauce will be too hot.)

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients except the oysters.  Taste and correct the seasoning if necessary and keep chilled.  Put just a few drops of the mignonette on each oyster before serving.

*  The mignonette lasts for two days, covered and refrigerated, but the bubbles from the Prosecco will dissipate.

Makes about 1 cup

Edgartown on Dwellable

River Café’s Tagliatelle with Crème Fraiche and Arugula

Many years ago while flipping through the TV channels, I came across a cooking show that was so beautifully shot – natural lighting, sleek, modern restaurant setting, spectacular looking, rustic food - it stopped me in my tracks. Turns out PBS was running an episode from the British television series called The Italian Kitchen. The chefs were Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers of London’s River Café and I instantly became a fan. Since then I have bought several of their books and vowed to someday taste their delicious Italian farmhouse cuisine firsthand at their restaurant on the banks of the River Thames.

Sadly, I heard Rose Gray passed away on February 28th at the age of 71. For twenty-plus years the River Café has helped influence and transform the British food scene. Rose and Ruth, both self-taught chefs, were passionate about sourcing the freshest seasonal ingredients and preparing them simply. They embodied locavorism long before it became fashionable. Like similar-minded American chef Alice Waters and her restaurant, Chez Panisse, many stellar chefs have emerged from the River Cafe kitchen; Jamie Oliver, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, and April Bloomfield all learned and worked under Rose and Ruth.

One of my favorite recipes from the River Cafe is a delicious pasta dish made with lemons, crème fraiche, arugula, and Parmesan. It’s so rich, so creamy, and so easy it’s dangerous!

Tagliatelle with Crème Fraiche and Arugula
Adapted from Italian Easy by Rose Gray and Ruth Rogers

I was able to source many of the ingredients for this recipe from local New York farms. The crème fraiche came from Columbia County’s Ronnybrook Dairy and the arugula from Windfall Farm in Montgomery, New York. Instead of the dried egg tagliatelle called for in the original recipe I substituted Dutchess County's Knoll Crest Farm’s fresh pasta.

You can play with the ingredient amounts; depending on how you feel about lemon, you can add a little more or a little less. The same is true for the arugula. And tossing in a bit more Parmesan never hurt anything!

1 cup crème fraiche
Finely grated rind and juice from 2 lemons
12 ounces dried egg tagliatelle
5 cups loosely packed arugula, large stems removed
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
Salt and pepper

Stir together crème fraiche, lemon juice, and zest in a bowl until just combined. Cook pasta in large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, then drain and return to pot. Add crème fraiche mixture, arugula and half of Parmesan; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve pasta with remaining Parmesan on the side.

Serves 4

People's Garden NYC

As a resident of lower Manhattan, I’ve been closely following the debate over where the 9/11 terror trials will be held. Initially the trials were proposed for the federal courthouse which is very near the subway station I use to go to and from work. While it would be hugely satisfying to see Khalid Sheikh Mohammed meet his justice just blocks from Ground Zero, this part of town would again be subjected to intense security and media coverage, another very sobering daily reminder of what happened almost nine years ago (as if we need reminding).

In one of life’s little ironies, I’m also following another proposed event that would occur down the street from the courthouse at City Hall. In many ways it is the polar opposite to the trials; while September 11th was about discord, destruction, and death, the City Hall project is about new beginnings, nurturing, and bringing people together for the common good. It’s not big news like the trials, but the project has the potential to inspire the whole city towards a healthier, more sustainable future. What is it?

It’s called People’s Garden NYC. This grassroots project would be a teaching garden, planted in raised beds in front of City Hall in an area left open for security reasons and Yankee celebrations (I had to sneak that in!).

The garden would be filled with vegetables, flowers, and herbs and tended to by the city’s public school students. The kids would learn from local farmers how to grow plants organically and their harvest would be donated to a local food pantry. In addition to learning where their food comes from, the kids would get plenty of exercise, learn about healthy eating habits, and discover the many ways a garden is beneficial to the environment.

This is a proposed project, not yet approved. If enough people sign this petition, sending the message to Mayor Bloomberg that New Yorkers care about keeping their food local and improving the quality of life in their neighborhoods, it could become a reality.

Growing up in New Jersey, my family had a vegetable garden and as a result I was familiar with putting my hands in the soil, planting something, watching it grow, and eating what it produced. But that’s not the norm for most kids, especially city kids. Actually, forget about growing their own food – in certain parts of the city, kids don’t even have access to fresh fruit and produce. It's easier and cheaper for them to get a cheeseburger from McDonald's than it is an apple. While People’s Garden NYC wouldn’t change these conditions immediately, it would be a model for what could be in schoolyards, terraces, rooftops, and vacant lots throughout the city.

USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack, who launched the People’s Garden initiative, has set a goal of seeing an organic garden at every USDA building throughout the world, the first having been planted in February 2009 at its headquarters in Washington, DC. So far there are 124 People’s Gardens across the USA, not all at USDA buildings. In fact, Secretary Vilsack encourages anyone interested in starting a community garden to contact the department. While People's Garden NYC is not connected to the USDA initiative, David Bowman Simon, the person organizing the petition for People’s Garden NYC, was inspired by what the USDA has accomplished. He is also the co-founder of the influential The WhoFarm (aka The White House Organic Farm Project).

Speaking of the White House, that is the location of the most famous organic community garden of them all. Within 2 ½ months of moving in, the Obama’s broke ground on the first large scale White House vegetable garden since the Roosevelt administration. On a national level no political figure has been more visible in their support of community gardens than our First Lady. The sustainable food movement found a passionate and vocal ambassador in Michelle Obama; in addition to the White House organic garden, she supported the creation of the White House Famers’ Market and recently kicked off a campaign to fight childhood obesity called Let’s Move.

After a particularly cold and snowy winter we’re starting to thaw out just a wee bit in NYC. On my morning walks I hear the birds chirping their springtime songs and see the snowdrops peeking through the ground in the park. The warmer weather also means it's time to start gardening again. With a little bit of luck and many more signatures on this petition, New Yorkers will be able to watch a vegetable garden grow on the steps of City Hall as we go about our days. Please take a minute and lend your support to a great cause and give this part of town and all of New York City something to smile about.

It doesn't get any more local than family...

I find January is usually a quiet month and mine certainly started off that way. A few of us at the office decided to get the New Year and Decade off on the right foot by following Dr. Alejandro Junger’s Clean detox. I did it for five days, felt fantastic, and vowed to keep up the many excellent dietary lessons I learned.

Then the week of the 17th hit. It kicked off with my dad having a strange feeling in his chest and taking a trip to the hospital in an ambulance (turns out his heart is okay but he needs to increase his exercising and watch what he eats – especially sweets, right Dad??). I celebrated my birthday two days later at one of my favorite Manhattan restaurants, Cookshop. The week ended with us rushing my 16 ½ year old cat, Pasha, gasping for air, to the vet. The next three weeks were touch and go for Pash with lots of tears and guarded excitement as she came home. She was with us for two peaceful, adorable weeks. But it was not meant to be and I lost my little girl in the beginning of February. Yes, she was an old lady and I’m comforted in knowing she lived a wonderful life but wow, do I miss her.

Like my dad, Pasha had issues with her heart. Hers failed; thankfully, Dad’s beats on. Mine? It’s broken. While I love working on this blog, I haven’t been able to think about anything but kitty lately. What I’m learning is, like it or not, life goes on. In an effort to ease my sadness I decided to make heart-warming chicken soup and chicken pot pies.

This one's for you, Pash.

Violet Hill Farm Chicken Soup and Chicken Pot Pies

There are many incredible chickens to choose from at my Saturday farmers’ market. Quattro’s, Knoll Crest, Flying Pigs – I’ve cooked them all with delicious results. I recently read Michael Pollan was “blown away” by the chickens from Violet Hill Farm, another attendee of my Saturday market. Since MP can pretty much do or say no wrong in my eyes, I decided to try one for myself.


Violet Hill owners Paul and Alix Dench-Layton farm in Sullivan County, NY, raising goats, pigs, lamb, and guinea hens, as well as a flavorful, clean-tasting French heritage breed chicken called Belle Rouge. As I did a bit of research on them and their farm I discovered many top chefs in the city are loyal Violet Hill customers due to the superior quality of their meats. Really? Where have I been?? It just goes to show - you may have an amazing food producer right under your nose and don't realize it. Always keep your eyes and ears open...

Around the time I crawled out from underneath my rock and heard about these chickens, I also saw a recipe for chicken soup in the January issue of Martha Stewart Living. It seemed to me this recipe and the VHF chicken were made for each other. The recipe has only seven ingredients, three of which are chicken, water and salt. What better way to showcase the taste of this special bird?


The recipe doesn’t require hours of stock making and simmering which appealed to me in my saddened state. I had little interest in cooking and yet I yearned for soothing, homemade food.

I bought my VHF chicken in parts rather than whole and along with breasts, thighs, legs and wings, I also got the feet. A couple of years ago if I had found a pair of chicken feet in my bag of chicken pieces I would have screeched in horror. Chicken feet look unsettlingly human and are therefore a bit creepy. But being an alumna of Farm Camp has made me less squeamish and definitely savvier. At Farm Camp every chef tossed the feet from the bird they processed into their bag and brought them home to make stock.


The feet, you see, are loaded with gelatin. Bones and cartilage have it, too, but not nearly as much. Gelatin has been touted as a health food in traditional cuisines dating back to the ancient Chinese. It is filled with minerals like calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon and sulfur, as well as amino acids and anti-inflammatory compounds. Gelatin is what gives stock and broth a rich taste and silky, luxurious mouth-feel.

It wasn’t until the mid-20th century when scientists learned to replicate the flavor of chicken and other meats that making stock from scratch fell out of fashion in Western cultures. Now many of us reach for bullion cubes and canned stocks because it’s quick and easy. The problem is when we do that we miss out on the truly wonderful qualities of the real McCoy. If you need further convincing of the virtues of homemade stocks, read this enlightening article by Sally Fallon, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation.

What makes this soup so good is you start with water and in an hour or so end up with a beautiful, golden-hued broth filled with healthy, healing properties and comforting, soul-renewing flavor. A good chicken soup has the power to take the edge off illness and, in my case, sorrow. Sick, sad, or just plain happy, this is a delightful soup. I hope you try it.

Basic Chicken Soup
Adapted from Martha Stewart Living January 2010

This is a very simple recipe. In fact, it’s so simple I say unless you’re going to buy the best quality, free-roaming chicken you can find, don’t bother making it. I realize not everyone has access to pastured chickens from a local farm so do the best you can with your selection at the supermarket. Spend a little more and get a bird that is antibiotic-free and organic. And don’t – I repeat DON’T – buy anything labeled Perdue or Tyson.

1 whole chicken (about 4 pounds), cut into pieces (including back, neck, and feet, if you have them)
8 cups water
Coarse salt
3 medium onions, thinly sliced (4 cups)
2 celery stalks, sliced crosswise ¼ inch thick
4 garlic cloves, crushed
6 medium carrots, sliced ½ inch thick

Bring chicken, water, and 1 tablespoon salt to a low boil in a large stockpot. Skim foam. Add onions, celery, and garlic. Reduce heat. Simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes.


Remove breasts, and set aside. Add carrots. Simmer, partially covered, for 40 minutes.

Remove remaining chicken; discard back, wings, neck, and feet. Let cool slightly. Remove meat from bones, and cut into bite-size pieces.


Stir in desired amount of chicken; reserve the rest for another use. Skim fat. Season with salt.

Serves 6


If the chicken soup was meant to coax me back to everyday living, the pot pies were meant to remind me of the joys in life. Hearty, rich, and comforting, they are shockingly good and easy to make - an ideal combination.

I came across this recipe in a Williams-Sonoma catalog about the time I became Pasha’s mom (which means a long time ago). I’ve continued to make it over the years, never tiring of the pot pies' lovely cream cheese-and-butter pastry crust and luscious chicken, carrot, and mushroom filling. I recently checked to see if Williams-Sonoma had the recipe on their website; they don't and that's too bad. For me it is an old standby, a tried-and-true keeper.

Chicken Pot Pies
Adapted from the Williams – Sonoma catalog

I used the leftover chicken from the soup in the pot pies.

If you don’t intend on eating all the pot pies at once you can successfully freeze the uncooked extras. First, allow the filling to cool in the ramekins before laying the pastry across the top. This will keep the pastry from melting into the filling and produce a crisper crust when baked. Then wrap the cooled pot pies in foil and freeze. You can cook them frozen but will need to increase the cooking time to about 40 minutes or until the pot pies brown and bubble.

Pastry Ingredients
1½ cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into small dice
4 ounces cream cheese, cut into small dice
2 tablespoons cold water

Filling Ingredients
4 cups chicken stock
½ pound carrots, peeled and sliced thin
½ pound large mushroom caps, quartered
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
2/3 cup flour
½ cup heavy cream
3 cups diced, cooked chicken
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper

To make Pastry
Toss together flour and salt. Add butter and cream cheese. Blend until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add 1 tablespoon water and stir with a fork. Add up to 1 tablespoon more to make cohesive dough. Pat into a smooth cake; wrap and chill for one hour.

To make Filling
Bring chicken stock to a boil in a large saucepan. Add carrots and mushrooms. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, until vegetables are tender. Remove vegetables with a slotted spoon; set aside.

Strain stock into a 4 cup measure (if necessary, add water to make 4 cups). Return saucepan to heat. Melt butter then add flour. Cook and stir 2 minutes.

Add stock and bring to a boil, whisking constantly. Reduce heat, add ½ cup heavy cream and simmer 2 minutes. (This is a good time to take the pastry dough out of the refrigerator to warm up slightly before rolling out.)


Stir in 3 cups diced, cooked chicken and the cooked vegetables. Add ¼ cup chopped parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Divide filling mixture among six 10-ounce ramekins. Roll out pastry on floured surface and cut six rounds a ½ inch larger than the top of the ramekins. Lay pastry over filling, and then flute the edge. Cut vents in top. Place on baking sheet and bake 20 – 25 minutes, until browned and bubbling.

Serves 6

Winter Pear Pie

I came across this recipe for pear pie in the Harvest 2009 issue of edible Vineyard. edible Vineyard is one of 50 + Edible magazines published under the umbrella of Edible Communities Publications. Co-founded in 2002 by Tracey Ryder and Carole Topalian in Ojai, California, Edible Communities’ mission is “to transform the way consumers shop for, cook, eat and relate to local food.” I pick up every Edible title I can find, wherever I go. It’s one of the best ways to learn about a city's or region’s authentic local food scene and to connect with restaurants, farmers and shops that have the best ingredients.

Martha’s Vineyard, where edible Vineyard is published, is a locavore’s dream. The island is dotted with many small, organic farms that provide everything from honey and strawberries to grass-fed lamb and raw milk. A restoration of an organic cranberry bog from the 19th century is underway and there is an Agricultural Society that holds a Fair every summer, complete with livestock shows, horse pulls, and oyster shucking contests. Considering all the wealthy summer visitors that inhabit Martha's Vineyard over the summer, it is amazing the island still retains the charm and beauty of a slower time.

Those that do live there year round are a resourceful, self-sufficient bunch who know how to make the most of the natural bounty of the land and surrounding seas. This creativity is reflected in edible Vineyard’s articles and recipes.

The recipe is from Judi Worthington, a year-round Vineyarder. She started selling her pies at the West Tisbury Farmer’s Market back in the early ‘90’s and is known for using only the best and freshest ingredients. Bill Clinton celebrated his 60th birthday eating one of her pies; I celebrated the New Year making one one of them.

Double-Crust Winter Pear Pie with Maple, Brandy, Walnuts, and Cranberries
Adapted from edible Vineyard

Truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of pears. But I adore cranberries and fruit pies in general so I gave this pear pie a second look. Plus, it was from the Vineyard, one of my favorite places, and that alone made me want to try it!


The recipe calls for Comice pears, which I discovered are known for their juiciness and flavor. The magazine article gave a useful tip for picking out ripe pears: “A pear that’s just right for pie baking will be ripe but still firm (not soft) – you will be able to make just the slightest indent with your thumb if you press the skin.” If you can’t find Comice pears, they suggest Bartletts or D’Anjous.

I’m okay at rolling out pie crust but certainly not a pro. I have made enough, though, to know this dough is heavenly to work with and wonderfully flaky and buttery once baked.


Lastly, the original recipe strongly calls for pear brandy in the filling, which I didn’t have. Faced with one selection at the local liquor store that cost $65.00 (I needed 3 tablespoons), I decided to pass. We had Calvados (apple brandy) at home so I used that instead and it worked out great. Don’t be afraid to improvise. As my mom always says “If it has good things in it, why wouldn’t it taste good?”


Ingredients
For the pie dough
2¾ cup (12 ½ oz.) all-purpose flour
2 tsp. granulated sugar
¼ tsp. table salt
½ lb. (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter, cold, cut into ½-inch cubes
1/3 cup cold water

For the filling and assembly
2¼ to 2½ lbs. ripe Comice pears (about 4 to 5)
½ cup raisins or dried cranberries
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts (optional)
1/3 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons pear brandy (such as Poire William or Belle de Brillet) or 1 tablespoon vanilla extract plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp. minute tapioca
Flour as needed for rolling dough
1 large egg, white and yolk separated
Turbinado or other coarse sugar

Make the pie dough
Put the flour, sugar, salt, and butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle (I used a food processor). Mix on medium-low speed until the mixture looks mealy and the largest butter pieces are the size of a flattened pea (about 1 1/2 minutes).


With the mixer running, drizzle in the water and mix until the dough has formed large, rounded crumbs and starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl; this will happen quickly. (If the mixture stays together when pinched, the dough is ready, if not, and it looks dry, add up to 2 more tablespoons of water, a teaspoon or two at a time.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and shape it into two 5-inch disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate while making the filling.


Assemble the pie
Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Core and thinly slice the pears (peeling is optional). In a large mixing bowl, combine the sliced pears, raisins or cranberries, walnuts (if using), maple syrup, brandy (or the vanilla extract and lemon juice), and the tapioca. Toss together well. Let sit, tossing occasionally, while you roll the dough.

Have ready a 9-inch pie tin. Roll one of the chilled dough disks into a 13-inch circle using flour as needed to prevent sticking. Transfer the dough to the pie tin and press it in. Trim the dough to ¼-inch past the edge of the rim. Whisk the egg white lightly and brush it all over the dough. Pile the filling into the tin and arrange it in an even mound.


Roll out the second disk of chilled dough into a 13-inch circle. Transfer the dough to the pie and arrange it over the filling. Trim the top dough so that it overhangs the bottom dough by ¼-inch. Seal the two layers of dough together by rolling the top over the bottom and then folding the two under along the edge of the pan. Flute the edge of the pie crust with your fingers or crimp with a fork. Make five or six slits in the top of the pie crust with a sharp knife to let steam escape.

Whisk 1 tablespoon of water with the egg yolk and brush all over the top crust. Lightly sprinkle the pie with the turbinado or other coarse sugar.


Put the pie on a foil-lined baking sheet. Bake until the crust is golden brown and the juices are bubbling, about 50 to 55 minutes.

Cool the pie completely to let the juices set up, at least 4 hours. If you want to serve it warm, reheat in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes. Serve with vanilla ice cream if you like.


Yields one double-crust pie.

Serves 8