Commodity Cuisine... Bernadine’s Fresh Cherry Pie What could be better than a fresh cherry pie, with fruit harvested from a local Michigan or Wisconsin orchard? Bernadine Gallagher, matriarch of Gallagher Farms in Leelanau County, shares her family favorite – a tart cherry pie that is both quick and easy, and a huge hit at holiday dinners. Pie Crust Makes two 10-inch pie crusts: 2 2/3 cups All-Purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup oil 4-5 tablespoons cold water TIP: Refrigerating the balls of dough before rolling them out makes the dough much easier to flatten. Pie Filling Mix the following: • 1 cup sugar • 2 tablespoons cornstarch • 1 teaspoon vanilla • Add 4 cups pitted fresh (not canned) tart cherries* *You can use a variety of sweet and tart cherries. If you use all sweet cherries, decrease sugar by 1/3. You do not need to precook cherry filling or add water if you use fresh cherries. TIP: Using a cherry pitter is very helpful! Directions: • Measure flour and salt; add oil and mix until particles are size of peas. • Sprinkle with water. • Mix until flour is moistened and dough clears side of bowl. • Press flour into two balls, cover with cling wrap and roll out flat. • Place one crust in 9-inch pie dish, add pie filling and cover with second crust. • Pinch the edges to join crusts and add a slit in the cover crust to vent. • Bake at 400 degrees on a cookie sheet or tinfoil until brown (about 45-50 minutes). Cover the top of the pie with tinfoil after 20 minutes to prevent over-browning. • Enjoy! ■
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