Blueberry Lemon Crostata

Another round of recipe development for Whole Foods of Charlotte; blueberries were on sale this week, and having company over for dinner dessert was necessary. This is a simple recipe that's always a crowd-pleaser. I've included the directions for a homemade crust, but feel free to use a pre-made pie crust from your deli section - it'll be delicious either day!

Crust

1 1/4C all purpose flour
1 stick (8 tbsp.) unsalted Kerry Gold butter
1/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/4C ice water
1 egg + 2 tbsp. water (for egg wash)
1 tsp. sugar (for topping pie)

Filling

1 pint fresh blueberries
3 tsp. white sugar
1/2 tsp. lemon zest
Juice 1/2 a lemon
1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. corn start

For the Crust

1. Cut stick of butter into small cubes, then place cubes in the freezer for approximately 20 minutes or until semi solid
2. Add flour, salt, and cubes of butter to a food processor
3. Quickly pulse the butter and flour mixture 12 times, or until pieces of butter resemble small peas in the food processor
4. Stream in the ice water very slowly while pulsing another 12 times (at this point chunks of butter in the mix are good, it'll make your pie crust extra flaky)
5. Dump the contents of the food processor onto plastic wrap and gently tuck and press the sides until a disk shape forms. 
6. Refrigerate 4-8 hours, the longer the better!

For the Pie

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
1. Dump pint of washed and dried blueberries into a bowl and sprinkle on sugar, lemon zest, add lemon juice and vanilla extract
2. Stir ingredients and allow them to rest for approximately 20 minutes, allowing the blueberries to release some of their natural juices
3. Once berries have rested, sprinkle on the 2 tbsp. of cornstarch and stir until berries are evenly coated
4. Lay the (rested) pie crust flat in a buttered cast iron pan or on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper
5. Dump the entire contents of the blueberry filling into the center of the crust and gently fold the pie around it; the beauty of this pie is that it is rustic, so it doesn't have to be perfect! 
7. Place the pie in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden brown

Top with ice cream and serve! Bon appetit y'all! XX,
Mrs. O.