Page 337 - Pie Squared

Try with an All-Butter (here) or Butter and Shortening Crust (here).

Mix raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and strawberries.

Go for an egg wash and sparkling sugar instead of the frosting.

FRESH HERBS AND FRUIT PIES

One of the many things I learned by making jam and jelly was
how herbs and spices liven up fruit, particularly dull fruit,

particularly dull fruit that might have been purchased with
enthusiasm and no real plan. Those mealy peaches, mushy
plums, white-centered strawberries, and tasteless blueberries
can come to life with some bright herbs, lemon juice, and the

heat of the oven.
Using fresh mint with fruit enhances the flavor, adding a
candy-like quality to even the most insipid fruit. Mint will thrive in
a pot in the garden.

Lemon verbena remains my single favorite herb to pair with
fruit. It’s easy to grow in a pot in a sunny or semi-sunny location.
Look for small plants at markets and garden centers in early
summer. Some people dry it, but I like it best fresh, and when

summer is gone so is verbena, until next year.
Genovese basil, Thai basil, thyme, lemon thyme, sweet
cicely, and rosemary all mix with fruit. Use them judiciously—pie
is about the fruit, after all. Mince the herbs into fine little pieces

or place entire sprigs in the fruit mixture for an hour or so, then
pluck them out and discard before filling the pie.
Herbs are not a necessary element, just an enhancement. If
unavailable or unappealing, skip them.