National Pie Day
by Laura Frerichs, Tastemaker in Residence
What is more comforting and satisfying than pie? And what is more American than apple pie? The actual origins of pie date back to Roman times and included both savory, heavily spiced meat pies and sweet, dessert pies as well. In Medieval England, dough was filled with meat with added currants, dates and pepper. Apple pie also comes from England originally, and didn't catch on in America until the 1800's. It seems that humans have been enjoying the delightful combination of dough and a delicious filling for quite a long time.
After the holidays and overload of apple, pumpkin, and pecan pies, we get excited about other more uncommon pie flavors. The bounty of strawberries and blueberries that we froze this summer will inevitably appear in a mixed berry pie and we make a mushroom kale quiche that we call "egg pie" in our house. With young kids, I have been opting for buying pre-made pie crusts rather than making homemade crusts. There is an organic whole-wheat frozen crust that we like quite a lot. And it makes the option of a quiche or blueberry pie a real weeknight dinner and dessert option.
Blueberry Lemon Pie by Amy Thielan
Mushroom Kale Quiche by Lisa from Garlic and Zest
Easy Jam Tart by David Lebovitz, recipe adapted from Crostata recipe at Wednesday Chef