Blueberry Pie

1 double batch of pie crust dough
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup arrowroot powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
4 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1 Tbls butter
1 tsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 400 F.

Prepare the bottom pie crust in the pie tin.

Stir together the sugar and arrowroot powder. Cut the butter into the mixture until it is no longer dry. Stir in the cinnamon and lemon juice, then gently stir in the blueberries, to coat them.

Pour the filling mixture into the pie tin.

Place remaining pie crust on top, seal and flute edges. Slit the top crust a few times for steam to escape. Or do a decorative top crust with holes in it.

Place a pie shield or strips of foil around edges before baking. Bake in 400 degree oven for 40-45 minutes or until juices begin to bubble through slits, removing foil or shield at around 25 minutes into baking.

Cool completely before cutting.

(I did not have any foil when I made this, so you can see how the edges need protecting.)

Blueberry Sour Cream Pie

1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
2 Tbls. flour or corn starch
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 1/2 cups fresh blueberries
1 9-inch unbaked pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, mix the sour cream, sugar, egg, flour/corn starch, vanilla extract, salt, and nutmeg, until smooth. Gently stir in the blueberries.

Pour into the pie crust. Bake for 40-50 minutes.

Wheat Coconut Pie Crust

This is a very light, crisp, and flaky crust that holds together. Good for tarts, pasties, or any pie with a solid filling that can be eaten by hand.

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
6 Tbls. coconut oil
1/4 cup water
1/8 tsp. salt

The coconut oil must be solid for a proper pie crust. If it is melted/soft, it will make a crust that is very soft and doesn't hold form (still tastes good though).

Cut the coconut oil into the flour. If you use your hands, it will melt quite easily. Blend it so that some of it is melted in, and some of it is still in chunks. Dissolve the salt in the water, and stir that into the mixture, forming a very soft dough. Press the dough into a ball and wrap in plastic.

Chill for at least 10 minutes before rolling out into a crust. Be gentle, because the coconut oil is quite soft. Use a dusting of flour if necessary to prevent sticking.

To bake the crust alone, bake at 350 F for 27 minutes. Otherwise, follow pie recipe instructions.

Makes a single deep-dish pie crust.

Dark Mustard

2 tsp. horseradish powder
2 Tbls. mustard powder
2 Tbls. whole mustard seed
1/2 tsp. smoked salt
1/4 cup cold water
1 Tbls. molasses
1 Tbls. balsamic vinegar

Coarsely grind the mustard seeds in a mortar with a pestle. Combine the horseradish, mustard powder and seeds, salt, and water, and stir thoroughly. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Stir in the molasses and balsamic vinegar. Let cure for a day before using.

This is a really strong mustard. For the sharpest, darkest mustard, use brown or black seeds. The mustard shown here used white seeds.

Fried Corn Cakes

The corn fries to a crunchy shell, with a soft interior.

1 cup corn meal
1/4 cup flour
1 Tbls honey or sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3/4 cups water or vegetable stock
1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
1/2 cup mixed vegetables (e.g. corn, beans, minced peppers)

Canola oil for frying

Stir together the corn meal, flour, sugar if using, baking powder, salt, and pepper. Slowly stir in the water and honey if using. It should be a thick, but smooth, batter. Stir in the chives and vegetables.

Heat like 1/2” of oil in a skillet over high heat, then turn the heat to medium when it gets hot. Drop large spoonfuls of batter into the oil and press them down into patties. Cook on each side until golden brown. Place them on a cooking rack on top of a baking sheet to drain oil before serving. Eat plain as a snack, or add toppings like basically what you would put on a taco.

Blueberry Soup

4 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen
3 cups water
2/3 cup sugar
2 cups plain yogurt
1/4 tsp ground allspice

Combine the blueberries, water, sugar, and allspice in a large pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. In small batches, blend the blueberry base with the yogurt in a blender, until the soup is completely smooth. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, then serve.

Roasted Asparagus

1 bunch thin asparagus stalks
3 Tbls olive oil
1 1/2 Tbls grated parmesan cheese (optional)
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 Tbls lemon juice (optional)

Preheat oven to 425 F.

Break off the woody ends of the asparagus by bending them towards the end until the end snaps off.

In a bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the asparagus and toss to coat them with the oil. Add the other seasonings (minus the lemon juice) and toss to coat.

Place the asparagus on a baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until tender. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Serve hot.

Honey Cornbread & Muffins

1 cup corn meal

1 cup flour

1 Tbls baking powder

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk

2 eggs

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 F.

In a large bowl, mix the dry ingredients. Cut the butter into the mixture. In another bowl, whisk the eggs, and milk. Add to the dry mixture and stir until just mixed, then stir in the honey. It is ok to have lumps, as they will continue to absorb moisture and dissolve.

Cornbread loaf: bake for 20 minutes in a greased 9" square or circular baking pan.

Muffins: Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Divide the batter into the cups. Bake for 15 minutes.

Corn Tortillas

1 cup masa harina (for more corn flavor & color, use 3/4 cup masa harina and 1/4 cup yellow or blue corn meal)
3/4 - 1 cup warm water
1/4 tsp salt

Stir together the flour and salt. Stir in 3/4 cup water to make a moist dough. Moist enough to stick together, dry enough to form a ball instead of sticky globs on your hands. knead it to make a smooth ball of dough. Wrap it in plastic wrap or a wet towel and let it sit for a few minutes to absorb its moisture. Knead in more flour or water if necessary after it has sat for a while. It should feel like playdough.

Preheat a frying pan over high heat, then turn it to medium.

Prepare a pressing folder by cutting open 3 edges of a plastic storage bag, or cutting a rectangle of baking parchment and folding in half into a square.

Form a small ball of dough, place on one half of the pressing folder, fold over the other half, and use a flat-bottomed plate to press the dough into a circle. Press the tortillas as thin as you can. Peel off the top half, flip the dough onto one hand and peel off the other half of the folder.

Cook them over medium heat until browned on each side.

I made them thicker than store tortillas and didn't try bending them, but I like the texture and flavor more that way.