Baking in a Different Kitchen, or Brava Blueberries!

With my aunt in town and blueberry season in full swing, I decided it was high time for another blueberry pie- Rose's "Open-faced Fresh Blueberry Pie" to be exact.

It's always a bit of a challenge working in someone else's kitchen, even when said kitchen belongs to your parents. The rolling pin is different, the flour is different, the oven is different (in this case, more persnickety). But working in this particular kitchen actually means more fancy gadgets and dedicated baking implements. I was just about the roll out the crust, when my mom whisked out the fancy wooden board with all sorts of circular outlines etched on its surface. I'm sure there's a technical name for this thing, but I can't think of it- pie board, maybe? But it was pretty sweet.

Crust: While this pie is a thing of beauty, it is also pretty dang easy to make. The crust can be made ahead of time and prebaked because it doesn't need to be cooked once it's filled. Having said that, I tend toward the school of thought that believes in the absolute necessity of freshness. There's nothing worse than something looking delectable and tasting of freezer or fridge or languishing-for-24-hours-on-your-counter. 

But I digress. This crust was another of the "basic flaky pie crust" ilk. And I have to admit, I'm wandering further and further from the lengthy and didactic Pieble directions requiring me to chill, chill, and rechill. I mean, Rose, what are you saying? That I need to chill? Hmmm.... she may have a point there. A few of you might agree. 

 Filling: As you can guess from the name, this pie uses mostly fresh blueberries and because it's open-faced, you really want to find the tastiest, most gorgeous bluebs out there. This is not the time to break out that bag of frozen berries you've been saving for a rainy day in March when you feel the need to tempt your mental taste buds with a hint of sunnier times to come. Save those for a covered pie, or better yet- a smoothie. The only technical note I would add is that it could have done with more berries. I've been finding this to be the case with a number of Rose's pies. Sometimes, the look a little empty. I am using the recommended pie plate size, so who knows? The flavor combo is often spot-on so maybe it's a taste thing and not an issue of filling the crust to the brim. I just think filling the crust to the brim often looks better.

Verdict: Wow! (With this pie, I'm like the guy from Sex in the City who sees Charlotte's enormous Park Ave apartment and can't stop saying, "Wow!") This pie is a thing of beauty. As difficult as it may be, listen to Rose and let it sit for at least two hours before you dive in. If you can practice this much patience, as we managed to do (full disclosure: we were eating a fab dinner), when you finally slice into it, the pie will not fall apart and you'll have really picture-perfect slices of pie adorning your plates. Whipped cream is needed, of course!