Damn Near Perfection

When Tina suggested kiwi as a type of pie for me to use in this summer's challenge, I almost passed it up. You see, I've made a kiwi pie before. Now, I know that you're thinking, "I thought you said you wouldn't do a pie that you've made before." And normally I wouldn't. Thing is, I've never tasted kiwi pie. I've only sold it.

That's the problem with pie: as the baker, there isn't an extra slice for you to try after pulling it from the oven. Which could be a bad thing, especially if it were to taste awful.

But after eating a slice of yesterday's creation, tasting awful wasn't an option.



So, yesterday morning I met up with my friend, Jen, at Eastern Market. It was the first time I had been to that market in over a year, which is depressing, because that market is the best one around. Well, as we walked up and down I took careful notice of which stands still had strawberries, how those berries looked, and what they cost. I was amazed to find that my old, favorite farm stand, Knopp's Farm, had the best berries, at the best price.

As I stepped to the front of the line to make my purchase, the farmer took one look at me and said, "I haven't seen you in a long time." I miss that; knowing your farmer is a great thing, especially when he gives you free patty pan squash to try.

Anyway, after purchasing my berries, and grabbing lunch with Jen, I headed home to make the pie.

Having previously purchased the kiwi at Wegman's, I was ready to bake. I decided to make a smaller pie this week, because I always seem to have just a bit too much (and I can't eat an entire pie). So I got out my Longaberger pie pan and filled her up.

Sadly for my oven, and my sanity, I forgot to put a 'pie-juice catcher' under the pan. The bottom of my oven is now covered in a puddle of bubbled-over pie-juice.

Anyway, while the pie cooled, I made the whipped cream. The strawberry whipped cream. The home-made strawberry whipped cream. The best way to describe it's taste would be to compare it to an early summer evening: the sweet sent of the of the berries wafting through the air, the light taste of the cream rolling in like fog near a warm stream. It was luscious. I don't think I'll ever be able to have normal whipped cream again. I'm ruined.

And when dabbed on top of a slice of my strawberry-kiwi creation, ...perfection. I couldn't eat a bite without mimicking the chefs on the Food Network; I had to close my eyes and say, "Mmm..." The tart taste of the kiwi and the sweetness of the berries, all topped off with the creamy flavor of the whipped cream...


If only the rest of the pies in this challenge will be so good...

And now, it's time to clean the oven. Wish me luck!