As the sun was going down the clouds opened up just a little


to catch a bit of the sunset.


For a brief moment it was there


and then the clouds set before the sun.


So I put my camera back in the bag and headed down the road.

That’s when I saw the bear crossing the road and didn’t have time to get any pictures


It looked something like this but not exactly like this. I just shared this photo from the guys at Motorcycle Philosophy because it’s pretty much the same view I had, kinda the shaggy butt fast walking across the road and into the ditch before it disappeared into the woods. By the time I got my camera bag open the bear was long gone.  it might’ve been a little bigger than the one in the picture here.


And that’s the story of the bear I didn’t take any pictures of.

If you confuse Cardamom with Coriander we’ll get along just fine. I accidentally made this pie with coriander and then found it was very good and is already devoured. So here it is.
Well one little thing,
I must confess I judge books by their covers, well recipes that is, if the photo looks good enough to eat right then and there I want to make it. Like this peach pie, there was a very appetizing photo and recipe in a magazine from the pile of magazines on the table, That came from the pile of magazines on the magazine table at the library’s book sale fundraiser.
I knew this part was important to you, so I shared.


It’s a peach pie and I had peaches so I knew it was meant to be.


To make the crust I religiously follow the ritual about cold butter and ice water.


I pull the butter out chop it into pieces and throw it in the bowl with the flour and sugar


and promptly begin cutting it.


Because it was another 90+ degree day I popped the bowl in the freezer partway through as the butter was getting too soft to cut.


knead it a little and then pop it in the freezer for 10 minutes or in the fridge over night and get to it whenever.


Roll out the dough and cut into stars or whatever shapes you like.


set them on a baking sheet. I used plastic wrap to separate the layers.


Reroll the scraps.


I added a little cinnamon sugar to the rerolled. Place the baking sheet in the freezer and on your way turn on the oven to 400.


Grab some peaches and slice them up.


mix in sugar corn starch and lemon juice. Shh, don’t tell I had no lemons and had to use lemon juice out of a bottle.

Arrange the peaches and sauce into the pie pan.


Then top with chilled stars.

brush with egg

and top with brown sugar. Bake at 400 for 45 minutes or until top is browned.



Peach Coriander pie
adapted from Bon Appétit
Ingredients
crust
    1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
    1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
    1/4 teaspoon salt
    1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
    3 tablespoons (or more) ice water
filling
    2 1/2 pounds firm but ripe peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, sliced
    1/3 cup sugar
    2 tablespoons cornstarch
    2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice or out of a bottle if you have no lemons
    1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
    1 egg, beaten to blend (for glaze)
  
   
Preparation
crust
    Blend flour, sugar, and salt . Add butter; cut with pastry cutter until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Add 3 tablespoons ice water; until moist clumps form, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Turn dough out onto lightly floured work surface and knead briefly just until dough comes together, 4 to 5 turns. Flatten dough into disk; wrap in plastic and chill at least 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled.
     Roll out dough on lightly floured work surface to 13-inch round.  Using 2 1/2- to 3-inch star-shaped or scalloped cookie cutter, cut out shapes from dough, spacing close together (place cutouts on baking sheet).  remove dough scraps, reroll, and cut out additional shapes. Chill on sheet while preparing filling.
filling
    Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 400°F. Place peach slices in medium bowl. Add sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and coriander and toss to coat. Transfer peach filling to 9-inch-diameter glass pie dish. Carefully arrange cutouts atop filling in slightly overlapping concentric circles, starting at edge and working toward center, covering filling completely. Brush crust with beaten egg, then sprinkle with raw sugar.
Place pie on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust is golden brown, peaches are tender, and juices are bubbling thickly at edges, about 45 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool at least 30 minutes.

Pick your own Blueberries are so good but a blueberry tart made with fresh picked blueberries is just a little bit better!


I ate 3 pieces, one because I was hungry, two because it was so good and the third I had to because I’d forgotten to take any pictures of the first.


The rustic tart is easy to make! the crust was the hardest part because it was so hot in the house. I actually stopped twice to chill the dough in the freezer. It’s hard to be cool when it’s in the 90s.

To make the crust put 3 tablespoons of milk


and one egg yolk. I know, it looks like a fried egg there but that’s the milk. mix and set aside.


Do yourself a favor and get a pastry cutter it’s so much better than using knifes and forks to cut butter. Knifes and forks work though.


When you are absolutely ready get the butter out and cut into pieces. Work fast, cold butter is the secret to good crust. I’m a believer now. I used to be a doubter.


If the butter starts getting too soft, just put it bowl and all into the freezer for a few minutes.

Stop when the butter pieces are the size of small peas.


Now pour in the egg and milk mixture. Mix and then knead on a floured surface.


You’ll have almost marbled butter swirls and that’s what you want. chill in the fridge for 4 or 5 hours or in the freezer for 10 minutes.


For the filling slice a peach and 1/4 cup brown sugar.


4 cups blueberries.


mix in 3 tablespoons flour and vanilla.


Get the dough out and roll it to fit your baking sheet.


put the filling in the middle and fold the edges up.


With the extra get out a cookie cutter and cut out heart shapes


Place the hearts around the edges or however you are creatively inspired.


Brush with egg and sprinkle with brown sugar.


Bake at 350 for 55 minutes or until the fruit is bubbly and the crust is browned.


Get up at 6 am and eat it for breakfast before anyone else wakes up


Hide the evidence in the sink.

Rustic Tart
Adapted from, or maybe it was just inspired by fritesandfries.com

Crust
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
11 tbs. cold unsalted butter, cut into chunks
1 egg yolk
3 tbs. whole milk

• Fruit Filling
• 1 Peach
• 4 cups of fresh blueberries or other fruit
• 1/4 cup sugar
• Salt
• 3 tbs. flour
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla
• Egg Wash and Crust Topping
• 1 egg for the egg wash
• brown sugar to top the crust

combine dry ingredients and mix them together.  add butter and cut into the flour until the butter is the size of peas.

Mix egg yolk and milk together and add to flour mixture until just combined.
Remove the mixture from the bowl and put on a flour surface. Knead quickly until it just comes together. Wrap in plastic wrap, stick in the fridge, and let it rest for 15-20 minutes. Or freezer to save some time
Turn on oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together ingredients for the fruit filling.
Take he pie dough out of the fridge and put on a floured surface.  Roll out until it's thin and about 12 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Put filling in the middle, leaving a few inches of dough around the edges, and pull over the free edges on top of the fruit filling. Tear off any extra and cut shapes with cookie cutters and arrange around the edges. Brush the dough edges with egg wash and top with brown sugar.
Cook for 55 minutes or until crust is browned and the fruit is bubbling.

Eighty some odd years ago this photo was taken of my Grampa and his brother.

 

He was up on the latest technology even then, he was the first kid with a smart phone in his class.

 

 

OK, maybe not about the phone part. Cell phones just  aren’t the one thing he can’t live without.

But the just yesterday we were sitting outside enjoying his ham sandwiches and talking about that photo.

 

…That was my first communion. They had us fold our hands like this.

 

Then we’d have to say

Je renonce à la diable et toutes ses œuvres et tous ses moyens

It started talking about the devil.

 

And I forget what next, something about I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth

I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.

 

Oh, that was so long ago.

 

To make Grampy’s ham sandwiches you need  wheat rolls.

 

 

Some smart balance buttery spread I’m sure real butter would be just fine also but real butter is not part of this recipe so just get out some buttery spread.

 

The ham slices need to be separated to leave little air spaces, It tastes much better that way. And because Grampy said so.

 

Next go to the fridge and pass by the regular mustard in the yellow plastic bottle with the squirt top; reach into the back and get out the Grey Poupon mustard. This will complete the sandwich.

 

Take it out to the picnic table and have an outside lunch.

 

 

I’ve done a lot in this life.

 

 

Grampy’s ham sandwiches

• wheat rolls
• sliced ham,
• buttery spread
• grey Poupon mustard