Olde English Blacke Berrie Pie

Adapted from a recipe in the classic Food in England by Dorothy Hartley, this is a surprising pie with a very thin crust. The apple thickens the filling so that when it is completely cooled, it creates a lovely silky loose jammy texture. If you've made Blackberry Liqueur, try cutting in about a cup of the boozy fruit with regular fresh berries for a little kick. If you pick your own blackberries, there is a difference in flavor depending at what time of the season you pick them. According to Hartley's research, the first berries should be eaten fresh, the mid-season berries used to cook with, the late season berries used to cook with and augmented by spices, such as ginger or lemon zest (brief notes in the recipe on this).

2 medium apples (364gr) peeled, cooked and mashed

1 Sweet pie dough recipe, rolled extra thin and the edges rolled up to be a bit thicker

A little oil

½ cup sugar

3 cups (432gr) blackberries (or substitute 1 cup with leftover blackberries from making liqueur)

¼ cup (2oz/58gr) butter

For Late Season Berries

- 2 tsps fresh grated ginger

- zest from ½ lemon

1. Peel and core the apples. Steam with a little water to get perfectly soft, then mash fine. Mix in the sugar and allow the sauce to cool completely before mixing with the blackberries and before putting in the pie shell to avoid melting the butter in the shell. 
2. If you have late season berries, now is the time to add the ginger and lemon to the apple.
3. As the apple sauce cools, roll out the dough quite thin, ¹⁄₁₆" or about the thickness of a nickel. 
4. Put in the pie plate and, to avoid soggy crust syndrome, brush the bottom with a little oil or melted butter to help seal it against the liquid of the blackberries. 
5. Do not trim the crust. 
6. With a wooden spoon, very gently combine the blackberries and the applesauce. Spoon the mixture into the pie shell, then dot the top with bits of butter. 
7. Instead of cutting away the excess, fold over the crust, wet the edges and pinch together.  The extra crust should fold over the pie leaving an open center with irregular edges. Pop in the refrigerator or freezer for at least 15 minutes.
8. When you're ready to bake, turn on the oven to 400°F. Brush the top of the pie with a little more oil and put it on a parchment-lined baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until the crust is deep golden brown.
9. Allow to cool completely before serving to allow for the juices to set.

Gruyere and Sausage Omelette

Butter, for greasing baking dish

2 Tbsps olive oil

1 small onion, diced

8oz to 1lb pound mild Italian sausage, casings removed

8 large eggs

½ cup whole milk

½ to ¾ tsp salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 + ½ cup (4oz) grated Gruyere cheese

1⁄4 cup chopped fresh parsley or lovage (optional: + 2 Tbsps to sprinkle on top) 

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Lightly butter an 8 by 8" baking dish.
2. Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the sausage and cook until starting to brown. Set aside to cool.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Add 1 cup of Gruyere cheese and ¼ cup of parsley. Stir in the onion mixture. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.
4. Sprinkle with remaining parsley before serving.

Salade de carrottes (Carrot Salad)

This has become one of my go-to salads instead of leaf lettuce. Sometimes I'm looking to pair a different flavor, and sometimes it's for the colour. Seasonally speaking, it's also a way of having a crunch salad when leaf lettuce isn't available.

1 lb carrots, peeled and grated

2 Tbsps minced chives or chopped green onion

2 Tbsps minced fresh parsley

Dressing

3 Tbsps fine olive oil*

2 Tbsps lemon juice

2 tsps honey

1 tsp Dijon mustard

½ tsp ground cumin

¼ tsp salt

1. In a large bowl combine the carrot, chive or green onion and parsley.
2. To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl until emulsified.
3. Pour the dressing over the carrot mixture and toss until the carrots are evenly coated. 
4. Allow the salad to marinate for at least 20 minutes before serving. Toss again before serving. 

*I don't usually talk about 'using only the best' of anything, but I did bother to point out that a fine extra-virgin olive oil would be choice in this instance. Regular olive oil is mainly for cooking and doesn't have much in the way of flavor. However, in a salad dressing of this kind you want to taste the olive oil, which is why a real cold-pressed, extra-virgin olive oil, preferably unfiltered, is best for a really tasty dressing but, if you don't have any, it'll be just fine.