Time for Pie

It is pie baking time. Autumn is the very best time for hanging out in the kitchen and letting the oven warm up the house as I roll out fresh pie pastry on the table. Most people think of fall as the time for all things apple and pumpkin, but around these parts there is another small fruit that vies for attention. The Concord grape makes some pretty wonderful pies too, just ask Monica or Cindy.

Many years ago, on a drive through the Finger Lakes, James and I stopped at a little roadside stand selling grape pies. My mom was a great pie maker and made all kinds of pies, but never had she baked one from grapes. After looking at Monica's website, I am led to believe it was Monica's grape pie we stopped to taste and buy all those years ago. The "Try before you buy" motto seems vaguely familiar. I recall finding that first grape pie amazingly delicious.

So, James and I went for another drive to the Finger Lakes on Sunday afternoon. It was dark, overcast, and rainy. On our way home we drove up through Naples, NY where the vendors and festival goers were just finishing up the annual grape festival. We decided to buy a grape pie (or two) and stopped to find Cindy all but out of the coveted confections. What she had left was unbaked, ready to pop in the oven at home or keep in the freezer for later. (Ours are in the freezer waiting... )