Peach and Blackberry Pie.......

 "A peach,slightly unbalanced,so that it listed to one side , its hue the colour of an early sunrise..." 
                                     -Allegra Goodman (the Cookbook Collector)

 Peach and Blackberry Pie
   When I was little, pies were a food group. My mother prided herself on her homemade pastry. Later on, she would stoop to buying frozen pie shells. But for years, I can remember the tin can in the fridge that held bacon drippings, roast beef drippings, all sorts of fat that congealed into a goopy paste. The slimier the better....

 Every time you opened the fridge  you would see that can of overflowing fat. My mother would scoop out the contents for pastry. Never measured, of course. And the pie crust that ensued would be remarkable. I, on the other hand, do NOT have a can of sloppy grease in the fridge, waiting to be made into pie crusts.I opt for non-lard,non-bacon pastry recipes.....
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

 YOU Will Need: 2 unbaked pie shells, or two flattened discs of your fav pastry recipe, 1 egg beaten, 6 cups sliced peaches, 1 cup or so of blackberries, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 3/4 cup flour, 1 cup white sugar, 1/2 tsp gr cinammon, 1/2 tsp gr nutmeg. pinch salt.

 Best kept secret in our house: brush the bottom pie shell with some of the beaten egg. It will stop it from going soggy in the baking process.  

 Combine all the rest in a bowl. Mix by hand. 

 Plop into pie shell. If you have two much filling make a turnover with leftover dough. The lovely flavour of the peaches will come out with the nutmeg and cinnamon, by the way, so don't forget the spices.

 Dot with dobs of butter or marg on top of fruit. Cover with 2nd pie shell. Wash this with more egg. Sprinkle with a little bit of sugar, raw or fine will do. Slash the top to make vents, or poke holes with your clean  fingers.

 Bake in oven for about 10 minutes at 450. Then bring it down to 350 degrees.Bake about 45-50 minutes longer .

 When I was very little, we had an  old wood stove from my grandparents. Totally outdated. More of a fire trap.But my mother didn't want to throw it out. It sat in the corner of the kitchen surrounded by yellow wallpaper.To test  pies, my mother would stick her hand in the hot oven and poke a hole in the crust to see if the juice was bubbling.If she went OUCH then they were ready.I would see flames shooting up  through the open grate, as she threw on another piece of wood. Crack. Sizzle. Pop. The flames danced higher, as pies burped in the heat.

 A few years later that old stove collapsed.  We had to buy a regular, electric stove/oven like everyone else. For a long my mother dried underwear and socks inside the oven , rather than bake in it. She liked the  steam and sizzle. Everything became quite crispy. And singed. Eventually she DID return to baking, and the underwear and socks took a back seat. For a while.

I found this pie cooked so well. It serves up better warm, rather than cold or hot. The fruit is more fragrant.

 Don't be shy about adding a dollop of cream on top, or ice cream or custard.

 Keep pie in the fridge . Cut slices and heat up in microwave to serve. But  try not to dry underwear or socks in the oven. They might just catch on fire........

 "She washed the peach and bit and broke the skin.An intense tang, the underside of velvet..." -Allegra Goodman ( the Cookbook Collection)

Photographs 2018