I told you about how we met.
A few months after that encounter we began to spend long summer afternoons together. That summer, our favorite day of the week was Wednesday. Every Wednesday, neither of us had to work, and we made a ritual of picking buckets of blueberries and making blueberry pie. Walking the rows of blueberry bushes and talking in the bright sun, we started to fall in love with who the other person was.
My sister came with us to pick blueberries one week. It was her first time to meet my new friend, Stephen. She called me later in the day to tell me, in that older sister sort of way, that he could be part of our family. I rolled my eyes, and quite unconvincingly said the typical, "We are just friends."
A few summers later, Stephen and I made blueberry pies again, but this time it was for our wedding.
Two weeks ago we celebrated our 3rd anniversary, and Stephen planned the most perfect day. We woke up early, went on a hike in the woods where Stephen proposed, traveled out to a blueberry farm, picked a bucket full, went to my favorite little eclectic sandwich shop for lunch, stopped in a few thrift stores, and then met up with friends for a beer at our local microbrewery.
To top it off, we made a blueberry pie. Just like our relationship, the pie seems to get better every year.
This recipe, apart from its obvious nostalgic value, is a beautifully delicious and surprisingly healthy recipe. The only sweeteners are the natural sweetness of the berries and a tad bit of maple syrup. The flavor of the berries pops in your mouth, and the almond butter and olive oil crust carries a deep rich flavor while being completely vegan.
I do not know where I found this original recipe. It was in one of those free magazines they give you at health food stores. Though I can not claim it as my own, I can say it feels very much like our own. This pie is special. Not just good. Not just seasonal. Not just pretty. Special. Just like him.
Blueberry Pie in an Olive Oil Almond Butter Crust makes 1, 9 inch pie
Filling:
4 cups of fresh blueberries, rinsed
about 1/3 to 1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons kudzu root starch or corn starch
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom (optional)Crust:
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons smooth almond butter
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2 cups all purpose flour
pinch of salt1. Mix crust ingredients together thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Add a bit more syrup or olive oil as necessary until the dough holds together when pinched. Press dough into pie plate. Reserve about 1/2 cup of dough to use as crumble on top of pie
2. Bake crust in 375 oven for 12 minutes until slightly golden. (you might want to us pie weights in the crust during this blind baking to prevent shrinking.)
3. While crust is baking, bring blueberries, syrup, and cardamom to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Stir occasionally. When the berries just begin to let out their juices, mix the cornstarch or kudzu with 3 tablespoons of water to make a slurry. While stirring the berries constantly, slowly add slurry to the berries. Make sure to not let the bottom of the berries burn to the pot. Stir well and constantly until the berries begin to thicken. Just as they come to a boil and thicken, take them off the heat
4. Pour berries in pre-baked crust. Top with reserved dough to make a crumble. Bake in 375 oven for another 10 minutes until crumbles are brown. Let cool and serve with vanilla ice cream. Enjoy
