Page 184 - Pie It Forward: Pies, Tarts, Tortes, Galettes, and Other Pastries Reinvented

Buttermilk Peach Pie

MAKES 1
(9- /23- )

, ,
. My great affection for Hochfelln
springs from several factors: First, the lovely mountain is plunked
right in the middle of the beautiful town where my German family
lives. Second, the vista from the top is incomparable and gives you a

full view of neighboring towns’ church spires and abundant green
forests. Third, there are two fabulous restaurants there, one halfway
up the mountain and another at the tippy-top.
At the halfway mark, we stopped in at the sweet café nestled
beside the cow fields and sat at a picnic bench with a few slabs of
cake and some beer. Ray asked what our neighboring diners were
drinking—it looked curiously like melted milkshake. I explained that it

was buttermilk. Ray was horrified. But it was true—and quite normal.
This refreshment has failed to catch on in the States, but in our
own South, where the other half of my family lives, buttermilk is
indeed a staple ingredient of many dishes, most of them desserts.
I’ve added fresh peaches here to leave no doubt that this is an all-
American buttermilk creation. So while I’m not counting on you to

replace your Gatorade with buttermilk, I am confident that you’ll
make this pie and enjoy it on a glorious summer day while sitting on
a picnic bench of your choosing.