Blueberry Pi(e) Day!

If you’ve ever shared recipes with a family member, you know that it can be a great way to start conversations about family history and hear about some truly interesting family stories. Cooking and baking together is also a wonderful way to connect with a loved one, can help keep both mind and body more active, and can be modified to suit most mobility and skill levels. 

This Classic Blueberry Pie recipe comes from Executive Chef Tom Oliver. Tom will be providing some helpful nutrition and diet tips in upcoming Dari features, and graciously shared this story with us:

“This recipe comes from my grandmother, Ruth Oliver of rural Wisconsin. It's pretty standard, but I remember it being really delicious. My grandparents had a lake house in upstate Wisconsin with wild blueberries growing along the banks of the lake and I remember picking blueberries with my grandmother to make this pie in the mid to late 1960s. I remember her putting a ‘1/2 lemon squeezed’ in the mix. I asked her why the lemon wasn't in the recipe, and she winked at me and said ‘You never give away the whole recipe, silly’. I also included her notes, which you should find entertaining. Enjoy!”

Classic Blueberry Pie

Yield: 1 pie

Ingredients:

• ¾ cup white sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch or flour
• 1/3 tsp salt
• ½ tsp grated cinnamon (You can use ground cinnamon)
• 4 cups fresh blueberries (Don’t be lazy, pick them at the north side of the lake. Don’t send Gene! He eats too many. MY NOTE: Gene is my dad.)
• 1 ½ tbsp Amish butter
• Pie shell
• Pie shell top
• 1 egg beaten with 1 tbsp of water

Preparation:

1. Pre-heat oven to 350F. When heated, bake pie shell for 7 minutes, cool and save for later.
2. Combine all ingredients and GENTLY fold with large spoon. DO NOT OVER MIX!
3. Place in cooled prebaked pie shell and place nuggets of butter on top. Place top pie shell and crimp the edges. Make pretty! Brush egg and water mixture over the top of the pie shell.
4. Bake for about 45 minutes. If the top shell is getting too dark, reduce heat by 25F and reposition pie in oven. Let cool on the windowsill with the window open until someone wants a piece. It won’t be long.