north shore foodie

LIFESTYLE & ARTS NORTH SHORE FOODIE SUMMER BERRY PIE

BY MONICA KASS ROGERS THE NORTH SHORE WEEKEND

Juneberry, Sugarplum, Shadblow, Saskatoon … there are many names around the U.S. and Canada for what we know in Illinois as the Serviceberry tree. We planted ours to beautify the landscape 24 years ago and were delighted to learn that the pretty red berries are edible, with a flavor profile similar to blueberries (but more redberry-ish) and even higher in protein, dietary fiber, calcium, magnesium, and manganese. No wonder Native Americans used them to make pemmican! This year, I used the berries in combination with raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries to make this fabulous summer berry pie. You can alter the berry-to-berry ratio, just be sure to use fewer blueberries than the other types of berry and you will still need about 7 cups of fruit which should mound up nicely in your 9-inch, deep-dish pie plate.

INGREDIENTS

DOUBLE-CRUST PIECRUST • 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour • 1/2 tsp salt • 2 tsp sugar • 2 sticks (1 cup) very cold unsalted butter • 5 Tbsp ice-cold milk or cream (OR evaporated milk)

SERVICEBERRY FILLING • 2 cups serviceberries • 2 cups raspberries • 2 cups blackberries • 1 cup blueberries • 1 cup sugar • 5 Tbsp tapioca starch • 1/4 tsp salt • A little fresh-grated nutmeg • Juice and finely grated zest from ½ a fresh lemon • 2 Tbsp butter METHOD MAKE PIE CRUST: Place flour, salt, and sugar into a sifter; sift into a large, wide bowl. Cut butter into small pieces over flour. Cut butter into the flour using two knives, your fingertips, or a pastry cutter until mixture resembles wet sand with some pea-sized bits of butter still in it. Stir milk (or cream) into the flour mixture one Tbsp at a time, using a fork to stir lightly until the dough clumps. Spread clean work surface with two pieces of overlapping plastic wrap to make a square. Scoop dough onto the plastic wrap. Pulling the plastic wrap up and around the dough, gently squeeze, and gather the dough into a ball. Divide ball in half. Flatten each ball into a disk and wrap each disk in plastic wrap. Refrigerate dough for 1/2 hour.

MAKE PIE FILLING: Mix sugar and tapioca starch. Toss berries in sugar/tapioca mixture. Set aside.

ASSEMBLE PIE: Remove one of the dough disks and roll out. Ease dough into a nine-inch, deep-dish pie plate, leaving a little dough overhang. Fill dough with berry mixture, mounding at the center. Sprinkle with lemon zest. Squeeze 1/2 lemon over the sugared berries. Dot with the 2 Tbsp of butter cut into tiny pieces. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Roll out second disk of dough. Using a pie-wheel or sharp knife, cut rolled-out dough circle into long strips about 1/2-inch wide. Loosely drape 1/2 of the strips across top of pie, top to bottom. Going the other direction, weave remaining 1/2 of the strips over and under the placed strips to make a lattice top. Trim excess dough around pie plate. Roll and crimp edges of pie to make a decorative edge. BAKE PIE: Bake pie in lower 1/3 of oven at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees; move pie to middle of oven and bake for an additional hour—to hour and 15 minutes until the filling is bubbling thickly up through the lattice. NOTE: Protect the edge of your pie crust with a thin strip of foil or a pie-rim protector if it seems to be browning too quickly. Remove pie from oven and let it rest for a bit on a rack. Slice and serve.

COMING SOON!

KENILWORTH

GARDENS

WILMETTE // 4 BEDROOM, 3.1 BATH

Sunlit center entry Colonial, living room with fireplace and formal dining with both with windows to the floor. There's an updated kitchen that opens to an eat-in area and the family room with sliding doors to patio and back yard. On the second floor is a primary suite with updated bath and walk in closet, 3 additional bedrooms and 2 updated hall baths. There is a finished recreation room in lower level has fireplace. Laundry and store room in basement.

Cheryl Chambers

SENIOR BROKER ASSOCIATE

847.977.3924 • cheryl@chamberscross.com

SOLD IN VALLEY LO TOWERS 1

2020 CHESTNUT AVE, UNIT 503 | GLENVIEW, IL

Thinking of buying or selling? Contact me:

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