Gorgeous aromas are wafting up to my office this morning as my birthday pie – stuffed with peaches from Good Humus farm (www.goodhumus.com) and wild blackberries I recently picked with my children – bakes in the oven. I make myself a pie every birthday, so I can eat a warm slice for breakfast. It’s usually filled with stone fruit (last year I made a plum pie with an oatmeal crumble topping) and a generous handful of berries, and its exuberant, summery flavors remind me that I don’t have much longer to start preserving these beautiful fruits before fall comes.
In order to enjoy “summer” pies all year round, I buy (or pick) lots of peaches, nectarines, apricots and berries and freeze them. It’s easy to do. With the stone fruit, peel it (peaches only), remove the stone and cut the fruit into slices. Spread the slices (or berries) out in one layer on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (the fruit won’t stick to it) and freeze completely. Then, simply place the frozen fruit slices (or berries) into a ziplock container and put in the freezer until you’re ready to incorporate them into a pie or cobbler. You won’t believe how magical that dessert will taste in the middle of winter. It’s like a fruity, delicious kiss of summer on a cold night.
