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Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble

Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble | Gather & Dine

Wild Blueberries make me reminisce about childhood summer vacations in Maine.  I have vivid memories of hiking along the breathtaking coastline, visiting quaint little towns, devouring lobster rolls and fresh clam chowder, and picking wild blueberries.  Maine is the only place where I have ever seen wild blueberries grown.  They are much smaller than the blueberries commonly seen in grocery stores, but they are sweeter and have an even more intense blueberry flavor.  I have not been able to find fresh wild blueberries anywhere locally so I used frozen wild blueberries here in this pie.  The wild blueberries make this pie really spectacular, but you can also substitute regular blueberries if you cannot find wild.  The almond crumble topping made from almond paste and oats enhances the whole blueberry experience.  I make this pie every summer and dream about vacationing in Maine.

Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble | Gather & Dine

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Wild Blueberry Pie with Almond Oat Crumble
 
Ingredients
Crust
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon natural cane sugar
  • ½ cup (8 tablespoons) of cold unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • 2-4 tablespoons ice water
Filling
  • ⅔ cup natural cane sugar
  • ¼ cup cornstarch
  • 32 ounces fresh or frozen wild blueberries, about 7 cups
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Crumble
  • ⅓ cup old-fashioned oats
  • ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
  • 4 ounces almond paste, broken into small pieces, about ¾ cup
  • ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) chilled unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch cubes
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • Vanilla ice cream for serving
Instructions
Crust
  1. Add the flours, salt, and sugar to the bowl of a food processor and pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse 10 times, or until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
  2. While the food processor is running, gradually add the water and process until dough just comes together, no more than 30 seconds. Start with the minimum amount of water and increase if dough is too crumbly.
  3. Form the dough into a flat circular disk and wrap with plastic wrap. Chill dough in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
  4. On a lightly floured board, roll dough into a circle about ⅛-inch thick. Carefully transfer the crust into the pie dish and trim the overhanging dough with a knife. Crimp the edges as desired.
  5. Chill crust in the refrigerator while preparing the filling and topping.
Filling
  1. In a large pot, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. With a wooden spoon, sir in the blueberries and lemon juice. Stir gently over medium heat until mixture thickens and becomes bubbly, about 12-15 minutes.
  2. Chill filling until cool, about 1 hour.
Crumble
  1. Add the oats, flour, almond paste, butter,and salt into the bowl of a food processor and process until the mixture begins to hold together. Transfer to a small bowl and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Assembly
  1. Preheat the oven to 400.
  2. Pour the blueberry filling into the chilled pie crust. Using your index finger and thumb, pinch small pieces of the almond oat crumble and sprinkle evenly over the filling.
  3. Place pie on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crust and topping become golden and the filling bubbles, about 45-50 minutes.
  4. Transfer pie to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
adapted from Bon Appetit

 

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Zucchini Raisin Muffins

Zucchini Raisin Muffins

Zucchini muffins sound so healthy, but most of the time I find them so sugar-laden that for me, it cancels out any health benefits of the zucchini.  When Lindsay over at Pinch of Yum posted her Honey and Olive Oil Zucchini Muffins, I knew I wanted to try her version using whole wheat, natural sweeteners, and two whole zucchinis.  It did not disappoint!  The texture was perfect, so soft and moist, and overall it was just a very delicious and wholesome tasting muffin.  The second time I made them I made a few changes and this version is incredible as well.  I slightly increased the whole wheat to white flour ratio, decreased the maple syrup and added golden raisins, and used butter and yogurt instead of olive oil.  Nothing against olive oil, I actually love olive oil breads, but some days I’m just in the mood for butter.  When these muffins are baked, they rise into perfectly dome-shaped beauties with green flecks of zucchini scattered throughout.  These are wonderful warm out of the oven and they also taste good chilled.  This recipe was plenty sweet for me, but if you’d like to add an additional touch of sweetness, serve with a little bit of extra raw honey.

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Zucchini Raisin Muffins
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 16-17 muffins
 
Ingredients
  • 2 cups whole wheat flour
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
  • 3 cups grated zucchini, about 2 medium zucchini
  • heaping ½ cup raisins
  • 2 eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • ½ cup butter, melted and slightly cooled
  • ¼ cup plain yogurt
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup
  • ⅓ cup honey
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease or line 16 muffin cups.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
  3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the zucchini, raisins, eggs, vanilla, butter, yogurt, maple syrup, and honey.
  4. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined.
  5. Divide batter among prepared muffin cups.
  6. Bake 20-25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
adapted from Pinch of Yum

*photo updated 7/2/2017

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Pesto Hominy Minestrone Soup

Pesto Hominy Minestrone Soup|Gather & Dine

With the summer abundance of basil, we try to find as many creative ways of incorporating pesto into our meals as we can.  My kids will usually eat anything if pesto is involved.  They especially love pesto pasta and pesto pizza, but they also happily eat this pesto minestrone loaded with hominy, beans, and lots of fresh vegetables.  I’m including my favorite basil and parsley pesto recipe, but I imagine that this soup would be terrific with any type of pesto.  Basil is the dominant flavor in this pesto, but the small addition of parsley adds brightness to both the color and flavor.

Basil and Parsley Pesto

I often save the rinds from parmesan cheese and freeze them to use in flavoring soups.  This is a perfect soup for using leftover parmesan rinds if you have some.   If you don’t have parmesan rinds, stir in some freshly grated parmesan or pecorino at the very end.  Serve the soup alongside a loaf of crusty bread or on top of a bed of brown rice.

Pesto Hominy Minestrone Soup|Gather & Dine

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Pesto Hominy Minestrone Soup
 
Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1½ cups diced leeks (white and light green parts only), about 2 leeks
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • ⅛ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 medium carrots, diced
  • 8 ounces coarsely chopped cabbage, about 3 cups
  • 1 32-ounce can hominy, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
  • 1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes
  • 4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 1-2 parmesan rinds or ¼ cup grated parmesan or pecorino
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 cup pesto
Instructions
  1. In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the leeks and stir with the wooden spoon until leeks are slightly wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and balsamic vinegar and stir for another minute.
  2. Add the oregano, red pepper flakes, carrots, cabbage, hominy, kidney beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, tomato paste, parmesan rinds (if using), 2½ cups water, and the broth. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 30-45 minutes, until vegetables are softened and flavors are melded. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a pinch of sugar if you feel you need to balance the acidity of the tomatoes. Stir in the grated parmesan cheese, if using.
  3. Serve with a dollop of pesto on top and mix well to incorporate.
Notes
adapted from Whole Grains Every Day Every Way

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Basil and Parsley Pesto
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
  • ½-3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
  • ½ cup olive oil
  • ⅓ cup pine puts
  • ⅓ cup fresh parsley
  • 3-5 cloves garlic
  • ½-3/4 teaspoon salt
Instructions
  1. Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until desired consistency.

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