Most Valuable Gifts

(From November 8)

The best gifts are, in my estimation, made by the giver. Perhaps the experience of living in a part of the nation in which you can watch your food grow from the earth is changing me. More folks around here make things "from scratch"--including the eggs they'll eat for breakfast--than in the place where I grew up, went to college, and began working. I have begun to enter into the joy of my master, who made humanity from the dust of the earth, and who every season makes new life spring from soil and water.

Sara is the baker in our family. If you want cookies, breads, or cakes, you go to her for masterpieces. I, however, am rolling out my own little area of expertise around our oven: pie-making. I enjoy the rustic, sensual phenomenon of putting hands on dough and patting it down. I find the rhythm of the rolling pin relaxing. And I enjoy trying--time and time again--to get the crust just right: the right flavour, the right texture, and the right ability to keep the filling from bubbling over.

At our monthly elders' meeting, one member of the group brings a mid-meeting treat and devotional materials. November was my month, so I decided to bring a cherry-strawberry pie. We have the fruit in our freezer from the summer; all that remained was to put it together.

Sara took pictures.

Here's a shout out to Nancy, who, on a recent visit to her home, told us that she'd "never use that pastry cutter--do you want it?" Heck, yeah!

A test of the dough is how easily it will transfer in thin strips to the pie.
Sealing the crust is where I still need to learn.

And the lattice work just before trimming:

This Thanksgiving I'm in charge of a couple of pies. But the fam doesn't want anything so mundane as pumpkin pie. No, they want a strawberry rhubarb pie and a peach pie. Of course, making the dough in large batches is easy; so maybe I'll make a couple of pumpkin pies--filling with pumpkin we picked and cooked ourselves--to give away.

~emrys