Saturday, August 21, 2010

TODAY'S LESSON: TART SALVATION

Kiss the Cook
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by Judy Westergard
watercolor and ink


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Peaches are at their peak. Blueberries are big and...well...blue. Thoughts of a peach and blueberry tart have been haunting me for days. "Cholesterol levels be damned," said I to myself.
I prepped the fruit and mixed my favorite pie crust recipe, the one that includes a quarter cup of vodka and that results in an easy-to-handle, flaky pie crust that would be the envy of anybody's grandmother.
I measured carefully. I cut in the butter until the mixture exactly resembled corn meal. I added the cold butter/Crisco combo, and then the ice cold water/Vodka. I refrigerated the dough. I took it out and let it rest.
All looked well until the roll-out phase. I've made this recipe dozens of times and never has it resulted in such a sodden mess!
Next step: dump it into the trash bin.
I was on the verge of a tantrum (not attractive in a woman in her mid-60's), when I remembered my fallback routine. I drank the last of the vodka, pulled out the Bisquick® and threw a batch of shortcake into the oven.
My philosophy: nothin' ain't worth gettin' one's undies in a bunch when there are alternatives!