Fresh Blueberry Pie

July is a wonderful time of year for foodies.  Most produce is in season, and the market stalls and farm stands abound with succulent, juicy and fresh ingredients.  Summer provides the opportunity for the more inclined bakers and cooks to take to the garden and to the fields to pick their own ingredients.  July, in particular, is the time to go blueberry picking.

At the nature preserve where I go hiking, Trout Brook Valley, there is an orchard open to the public for free blueberry picking.  The orchard is not advertised, and remains largely unpicked.  The bountiful fields are only accessible, to those in the know, through a twenty to thirty minute hike in the woods.  This deterrent to some is a pleasure for others, and Vanessa and I are in the latter camp.

It was a bright and sunny Sunday in the early afternoon when Vanessa and I found ourselves in this orchard.  There were boundless berries to be found, and a couple parties out to find them.   It was a beautiful day, and we had a fun time at foraging for food.  Unfortunately, the berries on the whole were under-ripe and too tart.  We were collecting berries for Vanessa to bake a pie, and so sweetness was essential.  The pinkish blueberries alone would not make a great pie, so we agreed to purchase some ripe berries from a store to supplement the quart that we had gathered.  Even though our fruit was not the sweetest, we had a great time outside, picking and snacking.  

The farm stand where we stopped next was a great little store in Easton called the Apple Barn.  This specialty food store sells local fruits, flowers, plants, and an assortment of homemade jams, and jarred goods.  Most are made by the Aspetuck Orchard Farm, in whose fields we had just been picking.  We stocked up on some tastiness, including two cartons of blueberries from a farm a few towns to the north.  These berries were perfectly ripe, beautiful, and delicious.

That night, I made pork chops for dinner with corn on the cob and some leftover pasta with pesto (not homemade), and with Vanessa’s help, a salad.  The pork chops had marinated since the morning in soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil, with a little bit of rice vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, Mongolian fire oil, Indian chili powder, crushed black pepper, and garlic powder.  I reduced the marinade into a sauce while I cooked the meat on a griddle.

Pork Chops

with Corn on the Cob and Pasta with Pesto

For the salad, we took basil and green leaf lettuce from our garden, and mixed in some beets, red onion, Manchego cheese, and the first heirloom tomato of the season.  The dressing was a simple balsamic Dijon vinaigrette.

Summer Salad

After dinner, Vanessa took over the kitchen.  It was baking time.  In this blog, I have often alluded to Vanessa's prowess as a baker, but I have not until now showcased her ability.  Since I was not involved with making her blueberry pie, I will let the pictures do the story telling.

The pie was absolutely delicious, and I enjoyed it for a few days as both breakfast and dessert.  This was Vanessa's first time baking a blueberry pie as well as her first time making a lattice pie top.  She did a great job, and I can't wait to taste the next treat she bakes.