Window Salad

There is something irresistible about growing plants from seed. They never seem to turn out as rigorous or prolific as plants started from nursery-borne seedlings, but the joy of watching one sprig of parsley emerge from dirt that I scooped into a pot

and later cleaned from under my fingernails, is what keeps me browsing through seed catalogs year after year. One of my favorites is the Cook's Garden.

On the left is a crop of mesclun, grown from a packet of seeds I obtained from the restaurant Broadway East, where they give away seeds (instead of matches) encased in a matchbook. To the right is a Thai Hot Pepper plant, which took two years to produce the teeny, tiny peppers just beginning to emerge.

Would You Like Some Cherry Pie?

I finally got around to it!

I made the cover shot of June 2008 Bon Apetite, Classic Sour Cherry Pie with Lattice Crust.

In case you were confused, mine is the image below (or to the right, depending on your browser.)

I made my pie with a store-bought crust, but the lattice is home-made. Note the uneven strips with cherry goodness oozing through! If you just make the lattice, save half the dough in the freezer for another pie. I used "regular" cherries, and added about 1 tsp. ground cardamon to the lemon juice mixture. Have someone help you with the pitting, it was the pits! When I was a kid and decal t-shirts with unicorns and corny sayings were all the rage, I had one that said "Life is like a Bowl of Cherries, But watch out for the pits!" I took it to heart.

Here's the recipe.

Crust:

2 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
5 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Filling
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
5 cups whole pitted sour cherries or dark sweet cherries (about 2 pounds whole unpitted cherries)
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice (if using sour cherries) or 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (if using dark sweet cherries)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon (about) milk
Vanilla ice cream

For crust:
Whisk flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl to blend. Add butter and rub in with fingertips until small pea-size clumps form. Add 5 tablespoons ice water; mix lightly with fork until dough holds together when small pieces are pressed between fingertips, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dough is dry. Gather dough together; divide into 2 pieces. Form each piece into ball, then flatten into disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Do ahead Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let dough soften slightly before rolling out.

For filling:
Position rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Whisk 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and salt in medium bowl to blend. Stir in cherries, lemon juice, and vanilla; set aside.

Roll out 1 dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Transfer to 9-inch glass pie dish. Trim dough overhang to 1/2 inch. Roll out second dough disk on floured surface to 12-inch round. Using large knife or pastry wheel with fluted edge, cut ten 3/4-inch-wide strips from dough round. Transfer filling to dough-lined dish, mounding slightly in center. Dot with butter. Arrange dough strips atop filling, forming lattice; trim dough strip overhang to 1/2 inch. Fold bottom crust up over ends of strips and crimp edges to seal. Brush lattice crust (not edges) with milk. Sprinkle lattice with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.

Place pie on rimmed baking sheet and bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 375°F. Bake pie until filling is bubbling and crust is golden brown, covering edges with foil collar if browning too quickly, about 1 hour longer. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely. Cut into wedges and serve with vanilla ice cream.