pie – GUTSy Performance Nutrition

Autumn, Nutrition + Health, Winter

Apple Pie and a fabulous gluten + dairy-free Pastry

November 5, 2019July 23, 2023by Rebecca11 Comments

I’ve been making apple pie as long as I can remember, a fall / holiday season staple since at least my early teens.

Still, it’s taken all these years of tinkering with filling and pastries to get the combination just right.

I’m not a pie person, per se. I’d take a really dense and elaborate layer cake, a quick bread / loaf cake, or even a muffin over pie most days. But I do like pie and if you’d ask, I’d take apple pie every single time.

We’re at the point in our outdoors / landscaping overhaul that our apple trees are producing this year. So the timing of getting this pie right is pretty special since a good portion of the apples came from one of the trees, a Goldrush variety.

And the pastry, though this version is latticed and rustic, is dreamy to work with, particularly when it comes to being gluten-free. If there’s a downside to it, I’d say it rolls out too well, meaning I can get overly enthusiastic and roll it too thin, knowing I can pick it up and transfer it easily with no breaking or falling apart.

And, after several years of tweaking and testing it out on all sorts of folks that don’t have to avoid gluten or dairy (or any other foods), I can say it meets with approval, and often is favored over the other pastries during the holidays because the flour blend makes for a little more nuanced flavor profile that plain white wheat flour will never have.

Enjoy this one. Fill it with the best and most local apples of the season, or whatever filling you most prefer.

Apple Pie, makes a 9″ pie with double crust
– The key to a good apple pie is to use a mixture of at least two different apple varieties, one slightly softer, and one that’s more crisp. I used Goldrush and an unnamed “pie apple” from a local farm and it was delicious.
– For the pastry recipe, I’ve listed the preferred flours first, and another option second, depending on availability. It’s important to use a mixture of flours to get the right flavor and texture and many trial versions has lead me to this particular combination and ratio.
– For a non-dairy butter, I like Miyoko’s European Style Vegan Butter most. It has the right texture, flavor, and is simple on the ingredient list. If you can tolerate dairy, a nice quality unsalted butter is also a preferred option.

3 pounds assorted apples (about 6-8 cups sliced), peeled and sliced
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. coconut sugar
2 Tbs. maple syrup
2 tsp. arrowroot starch
3 Tbs. sorghum flour
½ tsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. cardamom
1/8 tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Remove the dough from the fridge, unwrap, and place on a lightly floured surface. Roll out the dough into a 12″ circle, dusting the dough lightly with flour as needed, rotating and flipping it to prevent it from sticking. Ease the dough into a 9″ pie pan, fit it into the corners, and trim it to a 1″ overhang.
In a large bowl, toss together apples, lemon juice, sugar, maple syrup, spices, and flour.
Turn the apple mixture into the pie pan.
Roll out the top crust and add atop, making a lattice crust if desired. Fold the overhang of the crust under, and flute the crust by pressing it between the thumb of one hand and the index finger and thumb of the other hand. Freeze it for 20 minutes, then remove and put in the preheated oven to bake.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, until the crust begins to turn a golden brown. Then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees and bake until browned on top and the juices are bubbling in the center, about 60 to 70 minutes.
Let cool completely on a wire rack before slicing and serving.

Gluten + Dairy-Free Pie Pastry, makes a double crust pastry

160 grams / 1 cup brown rice or teff flour
70 grams / ½ cup sorghum flour
70 grams / ½ cup buckwheat or millet flour
60 grams / ½ cup arrowroot starch
30 grams / 3 Tbs. tapioca starch
30 grams / 5 Tbs. finely ground chia seed
1 1/2 Tbs. coconut sugar
1/2 tsp. sea salt
230 grams/ 16 Tbs. cold, unsalted vegan butter, sliced ¼” thick
12-16 Tbs. ice water
2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

In a large bowl, combine the flours, ground chia seed, sugar, and salt. Scatter the butter pieces on the top, and work in with your fingers until the mixture resembles gravel, with lots of butter chunks the size of large peas.
Stir together 12 tablespoons of the ice water with the apple cider vinegar, and drizzle the mixture into the flour mixture 1 tablespoon at a time, tossing the dough with a rubber spatula to moisten evenly. Add just enough water for the dough to hold together when you give it a squeeze, and add it directly to the dry floury bits that like to hang out on the bottom of the bowl; you may need 12 tablespoons or more of water.
On a lightly floured surface, roll the chilled dough out into a rough square that is about ¼” thick. Fold it in thirds like you’re folding a letter, then roll up from a skinny end into a loose spiral. Gently press to flatten it slightly, and chill for 30 minutes before rolling out. This folding, rolling and chilling technique will yield a flaky, delicious pastry.

Spring, Winter

Hungry Gap?

March 19, 2016March 19, 2016by Rebecca3 Comments

In temperate climates like ours in western Oregon, and also traditionally in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the weeks between March and April are known as the Hungry Gap for gardeners and local producers because we have nearly run out of winter storage crops and the new season’s growth does not provide a substantial amount of nourishment.

Most of us don’t think about this anymore, since we have access to almost any type of food we’d like from all across the globe. Easter is next weekend however, and for me, Easter marks the beginning of true spring. Likewise, I associate Easter with strawberries and rhubarb at home with my parents and extended family. Because I manage a garden, I’ve become aware that this pairing won’t come together locally until early May, and though I’m okay with purchasing a few berries from afar to enjoy sooner, I’m nearly always disappointed with the flavor. When I spent a summer on the strawberry farm as their trials intern, I was surprised at the diversity of varieties. Some were super-packed with flavor and others were big and beautiful, but tasteless. Interestingly, all the varieties went into the same punnets and at the grocery store, I could just as easily pick up tasteless strawberries as flavor-packed ones. In any case, it is not common for commercial fruit and vegetable varieties to be bred for outstanding flavor. It is early yet in this new season and this year we won’t be traveling home for Easter. So I think I will wait on strawberries.

I’ve noticed a little of this hungry gap in shopping for local vegetables lately too, as there is a plethora of greens and some winter storage roots like rutabagas, turnips, parsnips, and beets, but the variety that other seasons provide is missing. Still, in our age of abundance, there is a bounty during this season.

I’ve been doing a better job too, of planning meals since moving, taking on grad school, and commuting. I thought I would be letting go of cooking creatively during this new phase, but the opposite has actually been true. Using seasonal produce as the foundation for meals and then planning for busy weeks, being flexible, and doing a little more batch cooking on slower days has been quite instrumental. William’s one day of managing dinner has also allowed for simpler things like pizza, tacos, and pasta primavera to show up in our rotation.

Even during this hungry gap and busy season, we are enjoying lots of variety. This is what I picked up in the last week, and how we enjoyed them:

Turnips + Rutabagas: Rustic Indian Samosa Pie

Beets: We had beets, lentils, tahini + flatbread last weekend and leftovers into the early part of the week.

Leeks, Nettles + Potatoes: We enjoyed a nice Irish Nettle Soup with leeks and potatoes for St. Patrick’s Day.

Sprouting Purple Broccoli + Collard Raab: I lightly roasted these with tempeh and za’atar, and served them alongside harissa and millet. Yum!

Eggs : William powers through tax season by eating eggs and green juice most mornings for breakfast.

Green Salad mix with lots of winter greens like kale, arugula, frisée, bok choy, and chard: To round out meals.

Carrots + Parsnips: For snacking and carrot + parsnip oatmeal.

Parsnips + Sage: I am experimenting with a parsnip + sage risotto for dinner tonight and serving it alongside white bean fagioli from Heidi’s new book.

What local abundance is available lately in your corner of the world?

Rustic Indian Samosa Pie with Mint + Cilantro Chutney, serves 4

I first got the idea for this pie from Kelsey, when I attempted to make her Sweet Potato Samosas and failed miserably with tiny pastries and gluten-free crust. Since then, I decided to turn it into a seasonal veg pie and finally perfected a savory crust. I’ve made this a few times and change up the vegetables depending on what I have. It is a good one for using up random vegetables that might be hanging about. This version has rutabagas, turnips, and peas and only a top crust. If you want more of a true pie, double the pastry recipe and make a double crust. It will take a little longer to bake. A word to the wise, I tend to air on the side of spicy with seasonings, and then serve a cooling mint and cilantro chutney alongside to tame it down. Use a little less cayenne if you prefer less heat.

Savory Pastry

1/2 cup brown rice flour, plus more for dusting

1/2 cup quinoa or amaranth flour

3/4 cup chickpea flour

1 tsp. salt

1/4 cup olive oil

Filling:

1 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium onion, medium-diced

5 cups chopped vegetables (mix of turnips, rutabagas or any others)

1 cup frozen peas

2 cups vegetable broth

1 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

3/4 tsp. ground coriander

1 1/2 tsp. garam masala

3/4 tsp. ground cumin

1/2 tsp. salt

3/16 tsp. cayenne

1-inch piece ginger, minced

1 Tbs. arrowroot or tapioca starch

Cilantro-Mint Chutney:

1 large bunch cilantro

1 cup tightly packed mint

3 Tbs. fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup plain coconut yogurt

1/4 tsp. salt

Make the crust: Combine the flours and salt in a food processor. Pulse a few times to aerate and mix. Add the olive oil and 1/4 cup cold water. Pulse until the dough just comes together, adding a little more water as needed.
Transfer the dough to a plastic wrap, wrap it loosely and press it into a flat disk. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
To make the filling: Heat the oil in a large sauté pan and then add the onion, and cook until lightly browned. Add the chopped vegetables and 1 cup broth and let simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add vinegar, coriander, garam masala, cumin, cayenne, salt, minced ginger, and remaining cup of broth. Simmer for another 10 minutes until the vegetables have softened. Stir in the peas and arrowroot starch mixed with a small amount of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer and let cook a couple minutes more. Remove from heat and transfer to a 9-inch pie dish.
Dust a large flat surface with rice flour, and roll the pastry out until it is about 1/8-inch in thickness. It should be just larger than the pie pan. Roll the dough carefully around the rolling pin and transfer it to cover the filled dish. Trim the edges and fold under. Crimp them around the edge of the pan, then cut a couple slits in the top to let steam escape. Bake in an oven preheated to 375 degrees F for 20-30 minutes, or until starting to bubble and the crust has become golden.
To make the chutney: Put mint, cilantro, lemon juice, yogurt, and salt in a food processor, and purée until smooth. Serve alongside the pie.

Summertime

Boysenberry Pie

June 22, 2015July 19, 2022by Rebecca4 Comments

Friday afternoon at the farm, Charlotte

and I exchanged dusty handshakes for

boysenberries, the farm dog circling

feet. You must be Rebecca, she

said, the hose shifting

shoulders, reminding

again

this eating breathing living takes a

community to grow soil, berries,

pie.

farmer hands and bee sweat sweet

and summer, tastes.

It takes a community to do it yourself.

Boysenberry Pie
The Recipe Redux requested pie, William favors all the varieties of blackberry, and the first mess of Boysens at Sunbow are melt-in-your-mouth, stain-all-your-fingers sweet. Summer brought them early.

This berry filling is our absolute favorite. We’ve made it a number of times with just about every type of blackberry and it never fails to please but boysenberries are a must-have if you can find them. If they are extra sweet, consider reducing the honey to 1/2 cup.

1 double-crust pie pastry of choice – (I highly recommend this gf/df pie crust)
6 cups fresh boysenberries (or any type of blackberry)
2/3 cup honey
1 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2 Tbs. arrowroot starch
1/2 cup all-purpose gluten-free flour

Gently rinse and drain the berries and preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Combine berries, honey, lemon juice, and flours in a large mixing bowl. Pour into a pastry-lined pie pan, add the top crust of your choosing, and bake for 40-50 minutes, until the pastry is golden brown and the mixture is bubbling.
Carefully remove from the oven and cool until ready to eat.