hard-working pie dish

For probably ten years, a few dear friends of mine have been hosting dinner parties for each other every couple months. The host, responsible for the main part of the dinner, divvies out the rest of the meal's responsibilities, including appetizer, beverages and dessert. No one ever goes home hungry.

My good friend Laura makes the most incredible desserts. It's not really surprising considering she and her husband own a very popular cafe and she fills the dessert case with pastries that pop from her own ovens. She does this, of course, while running a catering business, selling real estate, rehabbing her 100-year-old home, counseling her teenage employees (to the point of legally adopting them if need be), fighting city hall (yes, she's crazy this way), all with four young children in tow.

I met Laura the spring of 1998 when she and her husband were rehabbing the building across the street from my apartment. That summer they opened their cafe. In the years that followed, Laura inspired me to try knitting, latte making, blind dates, natural childbirth (with a cheering section), and, recently, baking pie.

To be her friend is something special. To be a recipient of her pie or homemade ice cream is heaven on earth. So, whenever it's my turn to host our dinner party, Laura brings dessert.

A couple years ago, Laura shared the recipe for her summer pie. My deep-dish pie pan has seen four berry pies this season and it's not even officially summer yet. I aways shied away from making pie, thinking there was some exact science to the flaky crust that I wouldn't be able to master. Don't be intimidated. It's so much easier than you think. The real key is getting the ratio of fruit to crumb topping right. Pack the pie with fruit. Use more than you think you should. Like a friendship with Laura, you won't be disappointed.

Laura's Summer Pie
Crust (makes two 9")
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 tbs. sugar
1 cup shortening
1 1/2 sticks butter
1/4 cup ice water (maybe more, maybe less)
Put all ingredients except water into large bowl and use a pastry cutter to cut butter and shortening into dry ingredients until the pieces are small. Sprinkle water over and use a large fork to stir until dough comes together into a ball. Divide into two balls and refrigerate for 15 min. Roll out and place into pie pans. Refrigerate again.

Filling (for one pie)
4-5 cups of any fruit combination you can dream up
1/2 cup to 1 cup sugar per your taste and tartness of fruit
1/4 cup instant tapioca
Squeeze 1/2 lemon (and grated peel if you like more tang)
Mix all ingredients together and let sit for 15 min.

Topping (it makes a lot, you can stretch it to cover 2 pies)
1 cup flour
1 stick butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup either chopped nuts (any kind) or oatmeal
Use pastry cutter to cut butter into dry ingredients until it resembles course meal. Sprinkle topping on pie. Bake pie at 400 degrees for 40-45 min.