Blueberry Meets Its Match: Lemon

Father's Day 2010

For Bobby's second favorite holiday, after Flag Day of course, our family decided to make him a blueberry pie.  I really should have been a better daughter and made it all by myself, but things just worked out so that my mother did 99.3% of it.  I picked out the blueberries at the Farmer's Market, so let's not forget about that.  It was a multi-step process in this artful production.

The blueberry pie was made with cornmeal crust.  This crust was surprisingly easy to roll out and work with.  You must do it between parchment so it will not stick.  By doing this, you will find a fairly malleable crust.

The filling was made by combining bluberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, and a little bit of water; tossed lightly to blend.   This went in between the bottom layer of dough and the top layer, which was trimmed to 1 inch and then folded under to seal the filling.  From here, the edges were crimped decoratively.  In the picture above, we cut five 2-inch long slits in the top crust to allow steam to escape during baking.  While the pie was in the oven, we lightly brushed milk to the top crust to give it an extra golden glow.  After the pie was out of the oven, we let it cool completely on a rack before serving it for Bobby's Father's Day celebration.

The lemon cream is a glorious addition to the blueberry pie.  If you have leftovers, lemon cream also goes wonderfully as a spread on scones and toast.  I highly recommend this pie because it isn't overly sweet, and blueberries are it's main component

Health Note on Blueberries:
Blueberries belong to a group of flowering plants that are native to North America and eastern Asia.  The two major types available in the US are wild blueberries (lowbush) and cultivated blueberries (highbush).  Wild blueberries are one of just three berries native to North America; the others being cranberries and Concord grapes...interesting stuff...
Because wild blueberries contain less water and are smaller than highbush varieties, they tend to be more nutrient-dense when comparing equal volumes.  Fresh blueberries have an Oxygen Radical Absorption Capacity (ORAC) value of 2400 per 100 grams.  Blueberries are rich in phytochemicals such as phenolic acid, a natural compound that may inhibit tumor growth.  Both fresh and frozen blueberries contain high amounts of anthocyanins but very little is found in dried forms.
There has also been evidence to suggest that blueberries help reduce morning sickness, coughs, and headaches.  The leaves were used to make tea and were thought to help purify the blood.  Several studies also show promising results for compounds in blueberries as effective inhibitors of cancers and protectors against cardiovascular disease.
Good things to keep in mind when eating this delicious dessert...

For the complete recipe for Bobby's Blueberry Pie please email me and I will be happy to send it your way!