Page 73 - United States of Pie

Honey Pie

My husband and I had been living in New Haven just over a year
when I first met Vincent Kay. In my head, I like to think of Vincent as
“Vincent Kay, Man of the Northeast.” He does a bit of everything:
trains dogs, leads hunting expeditions, butchers game, keeps
chickens, grows the most beautiful, plump garlic that you will ever

cook with, and is an apiarist to boot. Vincent has his own cottage
industry producing local artisanal honey. When his bees are not busy
pollinating orchards all around the state on a for-hire basis, he keeps
them in various rural (and not so rural) locations. They feed off local
wild plants and trees, and Vincent augments their diet by mixing up
thousands of pounds of his own sugar solution. Vincent’s bees are
happy bees. They produce gorgeous golden-red honey, not to

mention amber wax for beeswax candles. Needless to say, my life in
food has been greatly influenced by Vincent’s generosity. It would
have been impossible for me to write this book without including a
recipe honoring Vincent and his bees.
In essence, this is a custard pie starring honey in the featured role.
The flavor of the pie depends in large part on the sort of honey used.

The bees around New Haven produce a particularly caramel-scented
nectar—some say that my pie tastes a bit like flan. Whether or not
you call a beekeeper friend, try to use a local honey, and think of
Vincent as you enjoy this pie.

½ recipe Standard Pie Dough or Leaf Lard Pie Dough

¾ cup honey
¼ cup sour cream
4 large eggs