Apple Pie

My mom and I made apple pie this evening. I didn't eat the entire pie, although I would like to. Our apples are locally grown at Old MacDonald's Farm. If you are in the area their place is worth a visit.

http://www.eeieio.com/

The following recipe makes the best gluten and casein free pie crust. It comes from Special Diets for Special Kids by Lisa Lewis.

GF Double Crust

1 1/4 cup rice flour

1 tsp salt (I use 1/2 tsp sea salt)

2/3 cup shortening

1/2 cup ice water

1 TB potato flour (potato flour, not starch)

Combine rice flour and salt in mixing bowl or food processor. Cut in shortening or use short pulses to achieve a dough comprised of pea size dough bits.

Using a whisk add potato flour to ice water. I put the water in the freezer while I mix the flour and shortening. Make sure you add the potato flour to the water and not the other way around.

Add the potato-ice water mixture to rice flour mixture. Use short pulses and process only until the dough forms a ball. If working by hand, pour the water mix over the flour and work in with a spoon. Remove from bowl and knead gently only until smooth. Do not over mix.

With wet hands pat dough into bottom and sides of pie pan. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 450 degrees for 15 minutes. Add pie filling then pat remaining dough between hands and place on top of filling. Bake pie as directed.

Fresh Figs

Last summer my mom and I visited Jacob and Jessie in Florida. During our stay Jessie took me to the farmer's market where I purchased my first fresh figs. There is no way to describe the delicious flavor of a fresh fig. Since that time I have waited with great anticipation for the opportunity to taste another fig. When I walked into Whole Foods last week I was delighted to see little baskets filled with figs. Besides eating the fresh figs we added them to smoothies and I made mom a salad with figs, heirloom tomatoes and fig vinaigrette. I also made a sauce for our pork chops -from happy pigs that lived without hormones and antibiotics. To make the sauce puree figs with apple cider vinegar, olive oil, sea salt and agave nectar in the food processor.