Blueberry Crumb Pie

Pie is summer, right? These guys think so too, and there ain't no summer like the permanent summer that follows the conclusion of four years of steady full-time employment. Give me my summer scout badge y'all, I'm ready to beach camp, lake dive, pick at bug bites, eat tons of pie, and oh yeah, move to Maine to make goat cheese for awhile. In the throes of winding down my time in DC and gearing up for the very challenging, very hot, yet enlightening and reviving months ahead, Joey and I booked it for the beaches of North Carolina all of last week to visit his family and take advantage of my dwindling window of relaxation time. Our list of must-dos included putt-putt and the rifle range, but mostly what we accomplished was quality family time, conversations with strangers in new-to-us places, outdoor Star Wars watching, grade-A sunburns on the shore, and of course, pie.

We arrived south at exactly the right time for his family to host us and were able to spend the afternoons gathered together around the beach umbrella and the nights around the dinner table, eating tomato pie and shrimp and sneaking in more and more of his aunt's potent margaritas. We dug through old pictures of Joey's mom, heard about his cousin's dip into a school of nurse sharks, and were told tales of solo cycling, the time a baby chimp came to stay, and incidental camping above a field of F-4 Phantoms. Baking for other people's families, especially a boo's family, is typically somewhat nerve-wracking for me, but this time I felt comfortably at home, spinning stories and eating pie right along with everybody.

The day after: Agent Cooper breakfast special

The only trouble is that this pie was too early in North Carolina to be much good for the Fourth of July—the ultimate family holiday in my book—but it's right on time for you! The blueberries in North Carolina were just perfect last week, and I suspect they're excellent where you are too. This pie would look mighty fine with some sparklers stuck through the top next week too, but if blueberries aren't your thing, how about some peach? Either way, fruit pie is one of the best favorite summer privileges, especially when surrounded by storytelling family and friends. 

Blueberry Crumb Pie
Almond crumb topping adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s sour cherry crumb pie

All-Butter Flaky Pie Crust
Make one-half of this recipe--included as part of a strawberry rhubarb pie! Or make a full recipe, wrap the extra dough half in plastic, and keep in the fridge for up to a week--there are lots of recipes here that will help you put it to use.


Almond Crumb
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
⅔ cup whole oats
½ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Scant ½ teaspoon kosher salt
¾ cup unsalted whole almonds

Filling
24 ounces blueberries
½ cup granulated sugar
¼ cup cornstarch
pinch sea salt
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice


1. Blind bake the crust: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out dough to a 12- to 13-inch circle, nestle it into a 9- or 9.5-inch pie plate, tuck under the overhang to make a chubby edge, and pinch decoratively. Press a sheet of foil or parchment to the bottom and sides of the dough and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake for 30 minutes, until crust is golden, then remove parchment and beans, and cool shell while you ready the berries. Reduce heat to 375.


2. Make the crumb topping: Melt butter and set aside to cool. In a food processor, grind oats until finely chopped. Add flour, sugar, cinnamon, and salt, and pulse once or twice to blend. Add almonds, and grind until the pieces are small but not fine. Err on the larger side if you must. Dump contents into a medium bowl, add melted butter, and mix and press gently with a fork to create crumbs.


3. Make the filling and bake: Add blueberries and zest to a large bowl. In a small bowl, mix the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Add to berries and mix gently with your hands. Top it off with the lemon juice and another mix, and pour into baked pie shell, mounding fruit just a bit in the middle. Scoop and press crumbs evenly all over. Slide pie onto a cookie sheet lined with foil, and bake—don't forget, at 375—until crumb is dark golden and edges of filling are thick and bubbly, about 45 minutes but usually no longer than one hour. Allow to cool for a few hours, and serve! Will keep covered at room temperature for several days or in the fridge for longer.