Trying to juggle two boys, work, a house and my ow metal state during Summer have been... challenging. I always found curious how Americans love to romanticize Summer but nobody ever warned me how hard it can be go survive it with 2 boys at home with no school. It's a crazy couple of weeks where you're desperately trying to find camps, summer activities and things that will keep them occupied and save my ears from "Mom, I'm so bored". Yes some days are hard, but this, this was a great day!
There’s nothing quite like the joy of a Summer day spent in the great outdoors, especially when it involves a blueberry farm, two energetic boys, and the promise of a homemade pie. Last weekend, my sons and I embarked on a berry-picking adventure that was equal parts fun, chaos, and deliciousness. After a recommendation from our sweet neighbour, we went to Nesbit Blueberry Farm.
The morning began with the excitement of a field trip, though I suspect my boys were more thrilled about the possibility of getting sticky with berry juice than the actual picking (specially Ollie). As we pulled up to the farm, the sight of endless rows of blueberry bushes stretching toward the horizon was nothing short of magical. The boys were out of the car in seconds, each armed with a bucket and a determination to out-pick the other. We were immediately greeted by the workers who were super sweet and made us feel super welcome.
“Mom, I’m going to find the biggest blueberry ever!” declared Ollie, while Theo opted for a more scattershot approach, darting from bush to bush like a tiny berry-seeking missile. I watched them with a mix of amusement and the most beautiful heartwarming emotion remembering how not much long ago I used to have "Picking Blueberries from a tree" in my Bucket list. You see, I'm from Brazil and we don't have blueberries there, so it might sound silly but you get my point.
Of course, no family outing is complete without a bit of sibling rivalry. Theo kept sneaking glances at his brother’s bucket to see if he was “winning,” while Ollie seemed more interested in taste-testing every third berry. “mmm mommy, these are so good,” he explained, with a mischievous grin and a mouth stained blue.
After an hour or so, our buckets were filled to the brim, and the boys’ enthusiasm began to wane in the midday sun. We headed back to the car, sticky and satisfied, our haul of blueberries promising a sweet reward. As we drove home, the boys chattered excitedly about the pie we were going to bake, each with their own grand ideas for the perfect recipe (Ollie thought marshmallows would be a great adittion LOL).
Back in the kitchen, we got to work. There’s something incredibly heartwarming about baking with your kids, even if it means the flour ends up on the floor, the counter, and occasionally, in someone’s hair. These boys think the funniest thing was to put their little hands into the flower jar and clap them! 🫠 Theo took charge of the dough, his serious expression belying the fact that he had more flour on his face than in the bowl. Ollie was the official berry-taster (again), making sure our blueberries were still up to snuff.
The kitchen soon filled with the mouth-watering aroma of baking pie. We all gathered around the oven, peeking through the glass door as the crust turned golden brown and the filling bubbled enticingly. When the pie finally emerged, it was a masterpiece of rustic charm – a little lopsided, perhaps, but bursting with the promise of sweet, juicy goodness.
We sat down together, forks in hand, and dug into our creation. The first bite was pure bliss – the perfect balance of tart and sweet, the crust flaky and buttery. As we ate, I looked at my boys, their faces smeared with blueberry juice, and felt a wave of gratitude for these simple, perfect moments.
Our day at the blueberry farm was more than just an outing; it was a reminder of the joys of family, the sweetness of shared experiences, and the magic of turning fresh-picked berries into a delicious pie. Here’s to more berry-filled adventures and the sweet memories they create. Enjoy the full recipe bellow:
Blueberry Pie
Flaky Base:
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch cubes and chilled
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
8 to 10 tablespoons ice water
Blueberry Filling:
⅔ cup granulated sugar (135g)
2 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon lemon zest (about 1 lemon)
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
5 cups fresh blueberries rinsed and dried
Crumble Top:
⅔ cup all-purpose flour (85g)
⅓ cup light brown sugar (60g)
⅓ cup unsalted butter cold, cut into chunks
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
Instructions
To prepare the flaky base:
Pulse the butter, flour, and salt in a food processor until the mixture resembles coarse sand, with some small lumps of butter (no larger than pea-sized) remaining. This will probably take 15 to 20 (1-second) pulses.
Feed one tablespoon of ice water at a time through the feed tube of the food processor, pulsing 4 to 5 times after each addition. Stop adding water when the mixture begins to form large clumps and pulls away from sides of the food processor bowl.
Dump the mixture onto a work surface and push it together into a big lump using your hands. Evenly divide the dough in half. Quickly form the halves into two balls and flatten them into 4-inch disks. Place each disk in a plastic baggie or wrap it in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least an hour and up to 4 days. Remove the dough from the refrigerator 3 to 4 minutes ahead of time so that it just starts to soften and is easier to roll.
Lightly flour your work surface and rolling pin. Roll out the disk of dough from the center moving outward, turning it a quarter turn and repeating until the diameter of the whole crust is about 4 inches larger than the pie pan. If the edges of the crust start to split, pinch them together before continuing. Once the crust is rolled out, allow it to rest for 5 minutes.
Carefully transfer the pie crust to the pie pan, flute the edges, and add the filling.
To prepare the filling:
Whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and lemon zest. Place the clean, dry blueberries in a large mixing bowl. Add the lemon juice and sugar/cornstarch mixture. Gently toss the blueberries to combine or use a rubber spatula and gently turn to coat. Set aside until the berries start to release their juices - 20-30 minutes, while preparing the topping.
To prepare the topping:
In the bowl of the food processor combine the flour, brown sugar, butter and granulated sugar. Pulse until combined. Remove to a small mixing bowl and using the back of a large spoon press some of the topping together to form large chunks. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To assemble the pie, pour the blueberry mixture into the blind baked pie crust. Top with the crumble mixture spreading evenly.
Bake on the foil lined baking sheet at 375°F for 1 hour. After 30 minutes, tent the pie with foil if starts to brown too quickly.
Once the filling bubbles and the pie is golden brown, remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator.
