Summer Fruit Recipes

When you have berries– make a berry pie.  Here are some berry pie recipes, as well as a banana and peach, too!

• Fresh Berry Pie
• Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Rhubarb Torte
• Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie
• Spiced Peach Pie with Buttermilk Crust
• BONUS: Marshmallow Creme Fruit Dip

Fresh Berry Pie
Imagine making this pie with your own berries! You can! Our July/August 2008 issue of Hobby Farms includes a detailed article on growing strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries–in your backyard! Look for it online or on newsstands June 20 or learn how to subscribe today.

Ingredients 

• 4 cups washed berries
• ½ to 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup white flour
• 2 tsp. quick-cooking tapioca
• Pie crust

Preparation
Place washed berries in a large bowl. Mix dry ingredients and sprinkle over berries. Mix gently, and let stand for 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Line a pie pan with pie crust (I use ready-made). Pour the berries into the pie shell and cover with a well-pricked top crust. Bake the pie for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake 35 to 40 minutes more, until the crust is golden brown. Let cool on a wire rack before cutting. 

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Strawberry/Rhubarb Pie
What a tangy, sweet delight!
Contributed by Karri Sandino

Never-fail Pie Crust

• 3 cups flour
• 1 cup shortening (butter or Crisco)
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp. salt
• milk

Fruit Filling Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups sugar                     
• 1/3 cup flour
• 2 cups rhubarb, chopped
• 2 cups strawberries, chopped

Crust Preparation
Blend dry ingredients and cut in shortening.  Beat egg slightly and add enough milk to make 1/2 cup.  Stir into mixture until it sticks together. Makes 2, double-crusted pies.

Pie Preparation
Heat over to 425 degrees.  Mix sugar and flour.  Mix this, lightly through the fruit.  Pour into a 9″ inch pastry-lined pie pan.  Dot with butter.  Cover with top crust which has slits cut in it.  Brush the crust with milk and lightly sprinkle with sugar.  Bake 40 to 50 minutes, or until crust is nicely browned and juice begins to bubble through the slits. (Covering the edge of the pie with 1 1/2-inch strips of aluminum foil will prevent excessive browning.)

A Variation: Mix in a few teaspoons of tapioca with the other ingredients, then let it sit for at least five minutes so that the tapioca can absorb some of the liquid. Instant tapioca works well; if you like, pulverize the beads in a blender before using. A tapoica fact: It’s gluten-free!

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Rhubarb Torte
The yummy textures in this torte will make this one of your favorites.
Contributed by Karri Sandino

Crust Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 T. sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 cup flour, sifted
• 1 tsp. baking powder

 Custard Filling Ingredients

• 5 cups rhubarb, cubed
• 1 3/4 cups sugar
• 5 T. flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp. butter
• pinch of salt

Topping Ingredients

• 4 egg whites
• 8 T. sugar

Crust Preparation
Cream the butter and sugar. Add the egg, flour and baking powder.  Mix well and press into a 9- by 13-inch pan.

Filling Preparation
Mix the rhubarb cubes with the sugar, flour, egg yolks, butter and salt. Mix well so rhubarb is coated.  Pour on top of crust and bake for 35-40 minutes in 350 degree oven. When done, filling will have set some–won’t be too juicy–when you shake the pan.

Topping Preparation
Beat egg whites while gradually adding 2 T. sugar per egg white.  When the torte is almost done baking, smooth the egg whites over the torte and bake about 10 minutes longer or until the egg whites are golden. Cool before serving.

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Black Bottom Banana Cream Pie
Exotic and Extravagant in Flavour
Contributed by Kate Savage

Ingredients

• 6 oz. semisweet chocolate
• 2 T. whipping cream
• 1 frozen or home-made 9 inch pie crust, baked
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1/2 cup + 2 tsp. sugar
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 cup whipping cream
• 1 T. unsalted butter
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 3 large ripe bananas
• 1/3 cup chilled whipping cream
• 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted 

Preparation
Melt chocolate and the cream in heavy small saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly until smooth.  Pour chocolate mixture into pie crust and spread with the back of spoon to cover bottom. Bring milk, 1/2 cup sugar and salt to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. Whisk yolks and cornstarch in medium bowl until smooth. Stir in 1 cup of cream. 

Gradually add milk mixture to yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Return custard mixture to saucepan. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and boils, stirring constantly. Turn off heat. Whisk in butter and vanilla. Strain custard into medium bowl. Place plastic wrap directly onto custard surface. Refrigerate until well chilled, at least 1 hour. (Can be prepared a day ahead). Thinly slice 2 bananas and arrange on top of chocolate layer in crust. Spoon custard over bananas. Refrigerate. In medium bowl, beat 1/3 cup cream with remaining 2 tsp. sugar until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over custard to cover completely. Cut remaining banana on diagonal into thin slices.  Arrange slices slightly overlapping around the outer edge of pie. Garnish with coconut. Serves 6.

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Spiced Peach Pie with Buttermilk Crust
The Ultimate Summer Dessert
Contributed by Kate Savage
 
Crust

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 5 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 6 T. unsalted butter, chilled and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup lard or solid vegetable shortening
• 3/4 cup + 2 T. (approx) chilled buttermilk

Filling

• 3/4 cup + 1 T. sugar
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 11/2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
• 3 3/4 – 4 lbs. ripe peaches
• 2 T. unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze) 

Crust Preparation
Blend flour, sugar and salt in processor.  Add butter and lard; cut in using on/off pulse until fat is reduced to pea-size pieces – about 25 pulses.  Using on/off pulse, blend in 3/4 c buttermilk until dough just comes together in moist clumps, adding more buttermilk if dough is dry.  Gather dough into ball.  Divide into 2 pieces, 1 slightly larger than the other.  Flatten each into disk. Wrap disks in plastic; chill at least 1 hour or overnight.

Filling Preparation
Mix 3/4 cup sugar and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Cook peaches in pot of boiling water for 30 seconds. Transfer to bowl of cold water; cool. Peel, halve and pit peaches. Slice peaches into bowl with sugar mixture; toss to coat. Let filling stand until juices form, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Place 1 rack in center and 1 rack in lowest position in oven; preheat to 400 F. Roll out larger dough disk on floured surface to 12-13 inch round. Transfer dough to 9 inch diameter glass pie dish. Trim overhang to 3/4 inch.

Mound filling in dish; dot with butter. Roll out second disk on floured surface to 12 inch round. Gently roll up dough onto rolling pin; drape dough over filling. Pinch overhang and edge of top crust together.  Fold edge under.  Cut several slits in top crust.  Crimp edge.  Brush pie with beaten egg; sprinkle with 1 T sugar. Place pie on center rack in oven.  Bake 50 minutes.  Place baking sheet on lowest rack to catch drippings.  Continue to bake pie until crust is brown and juices bubble thickly through slits, covering very loosely with foil if top browns too quickly, about 20 minutes.  Cool on rack 1 hour.  Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.

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Marshmallow Creme Fruit Dip
The simplest, best appetizer/dessert topping ever.
Contributed by Sarah Coleman

If all you want is something sweet and creamy to complement your favorite fruit, try this:

It’s simply …

• 1 7-oz. jar marshmallow cream 
• 1 8-oz package cream cheese

Preparation
Place cream cheese in small bowl; beat until fluffy. Fold in marshmallow creme. Mix well and serve with all kinds of fresh fruits (including your own berries!) and it is literally heaven on earth! Store in refrigerator. 1-1/2 cups.

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Grillin’ in Kentucky
Here are some tasty sauce and marinade recipes sampled at a Slow Food Bluegrass event.
 
One of Slow Food USA’s local conviviums, Slow Food Bluegrass held “An evening with Chef Ray Lampke”—dubbed Dr. Barbecue—at the Woodford Reserve Distillery in Versailles, where they craft bourbon, another Kentucky specialty.

The next time you gather your crew for a cookout, try these Woodford Reserve Bourbon recipes from Mark Williams, Slow Food Bluegrass convivium leader and executive chef at the Bourbon Street Cafe, Louisville, Kentucky.

Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Marinade

Ingredients

• 2 cups mild olive oil
• ½ cup garlic, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• ¼ cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon

Preparation
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Place steaks in a shallow pan and pour marinade over steaks. Marinate meat for 6 to 12 hours under refrigeration. Take meat out of refrigeration, cover with film wrap and let come to room temperature (about  30 minutes) before cooking. Grill or sauté meat to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with your favorite steak sauce, with a splash of Woodford Reserve added.

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Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Grilling Sauce

• 1 cup catsup
• 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1/4 cup honey
• 4 T. whole grain mustard
• 1/2 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 tbs. liquid smoke
• 1/4 cup Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon

Preparation
Combine all ingredients except bourbon in a sauce pan and simmer on stovetop for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off heat and add bourbon. Sauce can be thinned with water and used to marinate meat before barbecuing.

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Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Barbecue Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups catsup
• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup peanut oil
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 4 T. whole grain mustard
• 3/4 cup sweet onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh garlic, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup fresh rosemary, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes
• 1 T. liquid smoke
• 1/4 cup Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon

Preparation
Combine all ingredients except bourbon in a sauce pan and simmer on stovetop for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Take off heat and add bourbon. Sauce can be thinned with water and used to marinate meat before barbecuing.

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Woodford Reserve Kentucky Bourbon Grilling Dry Rub

• 1/2 cup Woodford Reserve bourbon sugar
• 1 T. garlic salt
• 1 T. celery salt
• 1 T. dried lemon peel
• 1 T. paprika
• 1 T. dried rosemary, ground
• 1 T. cumin
• 1/2 T. white pepper
• 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

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Woodford Reserve “Spirit of Henry Bain” Sauce
A Louisville favorite for many years, enhanced with Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon.

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 quart

Ingredients

• 12 oz. Major Grey Chutney
• ¼ bottle (about 4 ounces) pickled walnuts
• 14 oz. catsup
• 10 oz. A-1 sauce
• 10 oz. Worchestershire sauce
• 12 oz. chili sauce
• hot pepper sauce to taste
• 4 oz. Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon

Preparation
Puree chutney with walnuts in blender or food processor. Mix well with other ingredients. Store in sterilized jars.To create a warm sauce to serve over meat, add 1 cup of beef broth to this recipe and heat on a stove in a medium sized pot until hot.

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While recipes using pectin are my favorites for making quick batches of tasty jams or jellies with less sugar and less fuss, the flavor of jam made the old-fashioned way, with lots of sugar and cooking time, is a delicious occasional indulgence.

Ingredients
8 cups strawberries, crushed
6 cups sugar
Lemon juice (optional)

Preparation
Rinse (do not soak) berries and drain well. Remove hulls. Crush berries using a pastry blender or potato masher, but don’t puree them–jam has chunks of fruit in it.

Measure berries into a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. If fruit is very ripe and sweet, add 1 tablespoon lemon juice for every cup of crushed berries.

Over medium heat, stirring occasionally, bring fruit to a gentle boil. Add sugar, stirring constantly until sugar dissolves. Then, increase heat to bring the mixture quickly to a boil. Keep mixture at a rapid boil, stirring constantly to prevent burning, until mixture passes one or more of the tests for doneness (see sidebar).

Remove from heat and skim off any foam. Using a wide-mouthed funnel and a ladle or measuring cup, fill hot, sterilized jars, leaving a one-quarter-inch headspace. Use a damp (not wet) paper towel to wipe the rims.

How to prepare canning jars
Wash canning jars, new lids and bands in hot, soapy water and rinse well. (Use new jars or inspect used jars well, choosing only those free of cracks and chips.) Dry bands and set aside.

Follow the manufacturers’ directions for preparing the lids.

Time this next step so that jars are dry but still hot right before you are ready to fill them. Using a wide, metal saucepan with a flat bottom or a metal cake pan, heat 2 to 3 inches of water until just simmering. Invert clean, rinsed jars in the water and simmer for 10 minutes.

Shortly before you are ready to ladle the jam into the jars, remove them from the water, turn right-side up, and allow to dry before filling. They should still be quite hot when you fill them.

Has my jam jelled?

Thermometer test: To use a candy, deep-fat or jelly thermometer, first  determine the jellying point for your altitude first. Boil some water, noting the temperature at which the water boils. Add 8 degrees Fahrenheit to find the jelling point for your jam or jelly (usually around 220 degrees).

Spoon test: Dip a large metal spoon into boiling jam or jelly. Hold it at least 12 inches above the saucepan, out of the steam, and hold the spoon upside down. If the jam is done, it will sheet from the spoon (run off evenly, leaving a syrup behind).

Refrigerator test: Place a small spoonful of jam onto a chilled plate and place in the refrigerator. If the jam sets up (becomes thick and somewhat firm) after two or three minutes, it is done.

More Root Vegetable Recipes

In the kitchen, root vegetables comprise a wide range of dense, unique flavors that stand up to being served plain or being paired with spices, herbs, dairy products, meat and fish, or other vegetables:

• Pickled, they add crunch and sunshiny color to winter meals.
• Roasted, their sugars emerge to produce a lightly sweet glaze.
• Simmered and puréed, they make smooth, creamy soups. Like the one below:

Ingredients

• 2 14.5-oz. cans fire roasted crushed tomatoes 
• 1⁄2 T. garlic, minced 
• 2 T. olive oil 
• 1 cup onion, finely chopped 
• 4 medium beets (1 to 11⁄2 lb.), peeled and coarsely grated (or 2, 15-oz. can sliced beets, drained) 
• 2 Cups beef or vegetable stock
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper 
• 1⁄3 cup sour cream 
• 2 T. milk 
• 2 T. fresh chives or parsley, chopped

Preparation
In a medium-sized saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat, add the onion and garlic and sauté until onion begins to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the beets, stock and tomatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beets become tender (approximately 20 minutes).

Remove from heat and puree the soup in the pan with an immersion blender. Adjust seasonings.

To serve, heat soup over medium heat until hot, but not boiling. Ladle into four individual bowls. Whisk the milk and chives or parsley into the sour cream until smooth and swirl one-quarter of the sour cream mixture over the surface of each bowl of soup. Makes 4-6 servings.

Ingredients

One 1½– to 2-pound pot roast
1 T. olive oil
1 medium rutabaga
6 medium potatoes
Salt and pepper to taste

Crust:

4½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup shortening, such as Crisco
1¼ cups ice-cold water
1 tsp. salt Gravy:
2 boullion cubes
2 T. flour n Vegetable stock

Preparation

Combine flour and salt in a large bowl. Cut in shortening with a pastry blender. Make a well in the center of the mixture and quickly stir in ice-cold water. Form dough into a ball, cover and set aside.

Brown the meat well in olive oil over medium-high heat. Lower heat and let the meat continue to brown while preparing the vegetables. Peel and dice potatoes and rutabaga. Place in separate pots, cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Cook until slightly tender, but still firm. Drain, reserving liquids.

Remove meat from pan and cut into 1-inch chunks. (Set aside pan without rinsing juices.) Shred meat in food processor and place in large bowl. Pulse vegetables in food processor until just coarsely shredded. Combine meat and vegetables; season as desired with salt and pepper.

Break off pieces of dough and roll into 6-inch circles. Place meat filling on one side, fold over to create a half circle shape and seal edges. Place on baking sheet and bake at 375 degrees F until crust is golden, about 20 minutes. Serves 8 to 12.

TO MAKE GRAVY: Reheat the meat pan and, using some of the liquid from the  vegetables, deglaze the pan. Add vegetable liquid to equal 2 cups. Add boullion cubes and bring to boiling; stir until cubes are dissolved. Make a roux, or thickener, for the gravy by adding about 1/4 cup of the hot liquid to 2 tablespoons of flour in a separate bowl. Whisk to remove lumps and gradually stir back into pot; stir until thickened.

Serve pasties with gravy.

More Main Dishes

Use your favorite pasta (mine is linguine) and your favorite nuts (I like walnuts) for this easy, but unexpectedly rich, dish–pasta sauce made with nuts! Different nuts also combine well with flavored pastas for unique flavor combinations: try lemon pasta with almonds, carrot pasta with cashews, or spinach pasta with Brazil nuts.

Ingredients

• 12 oz. pasta
• 2 cups nut meats, such as almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, filberts, pecans or walnuts
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup butter
• ¼ cup olive oil
• ½ cup Parmesan or Romano cheese, freshly grated
• Additional coarsely chopped nuts, grated cheese and chopped fresh parsley for garnish, if desired

Preparation
Cook pasta as directed, until al dente. While pasta is cooking, use a food processor or blender to combine the nut meats and enough hot water from the cooking pasta to make a stiff paste. Add the garlic, butter, olive oil and cheese. Blend, adding additional hot water as needed to make a smooth, thick sauce.

Drain pasta. Pour sauce over pasta and toss until well-coated. Place on individual serving plates, garnish and serve immediately.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.