I suddenly wanted blueberry pie. Badly.
Our little piece of land here is rich in growing things - apples and wild strawberries abound. We've nibbled off the wild blueberries that line the edges of the forest*, but never baked with them, and today it struck me....why not?
Especially when I could picture a piece of blueberry grunt, all moist and clinging to the spoon, just waiting for the kiss of ice cream that would make it a work of art...
The kids noticed I'd grabbed a container and was taking off on them. Soon I had enthusiastic helpers. (They like blueberries too.)
The birds had beaten us to it, unfortunately, and we were reduced to sweeping the bottom branches, hunting for ones that had been missed.
We found a few - enough to mix with apples and make a pie, and then....I spotted something.
Blackberries. This was going to be a good pie.
Back to the house to make crust and toss apples in brown sugar and cinnamon, to pour the berries over, to assemble and send covetous looks through the oven door.
It's perfuming the house right now. I can't wait.
It's not living on the banks of Plum Creek, but it's a start. Soon the (cultivated) zucchini will be ready to eat, and then it will feel like I'm hunting and gathering and providing for my family again.
Nellie Olsen might be impressed.
*There is something very grand about being able to point to a bush when the kids get fractious and saying 'Here. Have a snack.'
10 comments:
I am "major jealous" right now. My baking skills are not on par with some of my other cooking skills 9burning the steaks on the grill for instance).
Enjoy a slice for me.
Wow. I wish I was YOUR neighbour for real!
Oooooooo that sounds good...can you mail me a piece????
It blows my mind that you/I can do things like this! It shouldn't blow my mind. Shows how disconnected we've become with our land. But ya baby, free grub, that's the rub.
Yum!
Gah! I cannot WAIT until our berry bushes start really producing. We planted blueberries, raspberries and blackberries (strawberries, too!). The birds got most of the strawberries and blackberries, and the raspberries and blueberries didn't produce this year. (We didn't expect them to, but STILL. I WANT BERRIES! My own berries, that I grew!)
Our blackberries won't be ripening for a month or two yet. Guess I'll have to be patient!
Mmmmn, can almost taste that pie.
Love berries, & used to love picking them, in spite of the thorns.
When Jeremy and I lived in our little rental we liked to go exploring through the woods near the house. I found a TREMENDOUS raspberry bush and started to gobble them up right away. Jeremy was too scared to try because "what if they aren't raspberries?" He was worried they might be a poisonous look alike... his loss. They were delicious.
I hope your pie was LOVELY.
Mmm -mmmm, berry pie. Drooling just thinking about it.
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