Old Fashioned Blueberry Pie

Blueberries! Blueberries!

Blueberries! Blueberries!
They bounce in my bowl,
Blue little blueberries,
I love each jolly blue soul.

Blueberries! Blueberries!
Once I see them, I can't stop.
Into my mouth, they go plop, plop, plop.

Blueberries! Blueberries!
I could eat them all day.
So sweet and so juicy, in a lip-smacking way.

Blueberries! Blueberries!
Glowing in a beautiful bright hue.
I wish I could color all my pictures in blueberry blue.

Blueberries! Blueberries!
My mom has such a great fright,
when she peeks in the kitchen to see such a sight...

Blueberries! Blueberries!
On my fingertips and nose,
I'm covered in blueberries, from my head to my toes.
But mom doesn't mind, she just giggles from the door,
As one more blueberry blueberry bounces down along the floor.

by Kathy Patalsky

Here's the berry scoop...

• July is national blueberry month because it is the peak of harvest season.
• American poet, Robert Frost, loved blueberries so he wrote a poem about them. You might have guessed the poem was called "Blueberries" http://www.daypoems.net/poems/2648.html
• Over 200 million pounds are grown every year with Michigan and New Jersey producing 66% of all blueberries in the US.
• Blueberries are the second most popular berry in US with strawberries coming in at  number one.
• Blueberry muffins are the official muffin of Minnesota and blueberries are the official state fruit of New Jersey.
• Talk about healthy...a cup of blueberries is only 80 calories and it has virtually no fat! 

Old Fashioned Blueberry Pie

Nothing screams summer more than a slice of juicy blueberry pie. Use your favorite pie crust recipe or a prepared one from the store. 

I used cornstarch because you need less than flour. 1/4 cup cornstarch is just enough to slightly firm those berries up, but not too much to take away from their beautifully juicy texture. Make sure the juices are bubbling through the vents before removing the pie. 
Refrigerate pie after one day.
Ingredients:

• 6 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Saigon cinnamon or 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon cold butter

Directions: 

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 
• Roll out one pie crust and carefully ease it into a 9 inch pie pan. Refrigerate the bottom crust while preparing the filling. 
• In bowl whisk together sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon. lemon zest and juice.
• Gently fold in blueberries and then add to bottom crust. 
• Top with butter placed in middle of filling. 
• Top other pie crust over filling and crimp edges. 
• Brush crust lightly with milk and sprinkle with a cinnamon sugar mixture. 
• Place foil strips around outer pie pan edge.
• Cut 4 slits for steam to escape. 
• Place pie pan on a baking sheet and bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 and bake 20-30 minutes longer or until juices are bubbling through center slits. To prevent over browning toward end of baking, can lay a sheet of foil over the crust.  .
• Cool 1-2 hours before cutting. 

Blueberry, Corn and Avocado Salad with a Citrus Honey Dressing

Links to Blueberry Specials