Peasant Pie with a Flaky Crust

I want to do a little bit of recount of last week’s topic and shed some light for my readers and myself.  This blog is forcing me to study during the summer.  I am interested in the concept of “peasant” food and agrarian movements and the relationship to much of the “green” awareness and urban/agricultural growth in the U.S., particularly the region I live in, the desert southwest.  I believe that “peasants” are commoditized.  Nowadays, we would call peasants, low-income (and often minority) population. Their culture tends to influence pop culture and I especially see this with food ways and traditions. 

I have noticed quite the following of going back to scratch cooking for one thing.  Heck, I am totally interested in making more people aware of this concept that seemed to disappear during the 1980s popular culture.  I really believe that a lot of people in my age group are more accustomed to fast paced processed food ways than previous generations and it is a trend that has grown since the 1950s.  The food industry has also caught on even if it means changing food labels to “all-natural.” 

Low-income and working-class populations from the past have managed to prepare foods in such a way that is economically efficient, energy dense and for the most part flavorful and this is a popular trend now.  Magazines, cooking shows, and newspaper articles are showing today’s folks how to cook on a limited budget because sadly, many of us don’t know how.  I really appreciate these ideas.  So we look to those who have survived on self-sufficiency which is a good thing, but we still have our mass producers who claim to be following the same principles, when they are not.  It is expensive to eat healthy.  I want to explore more about some of these movements so I will be reading about La Via Campesina, an agricultural movement developed in many Central American countries to curtail the devastation caused by agribusiness to the poor inhabitants in these countries.

I would really like to present a challenge for the week.  Choose a meal each day to make something from scratch.  I don’t mean go gather your own eggs or anything, but do make something that comes from a can or the freezer already prepared with more than one or two ingredients unless you added them.  Jam, prepared salad dressings and flavored yogurts are a culprit. 

My example

Breakfast- Peach French Toast Casserole (Kinda need to get up early)

Lunch-Caprese Sandwich  (Easy)

Dinner-GF Gnocci  w/chunky tomato sauce and salad dressed with olive oil and balsamic vinegar (awesome kids cook meal because making the gnocci is like playing with play-doh. (Easier than I thought)

Snack 1- Grape Slushies (Easy)

Snack 2- GF Caramel Apple Pie

Recipe

Gluten Free Pie Crust

I have never been a pie maker because the crust is so daunting and then when we converted to a gluten-free diet, this became such a challenge that I actually threw in the towel.  The crust falls apart, sticks to the counter or wax paper.  It has a sandy texture or is just plain awful. 

But I have two apple trees and they are ready for some baking and I really like the salty crust contrast with sweet tart apples.  I can say that I definitely got it.  Hurray for me.

2/3 cup of chilled butter or shortening of choice (you can probably mix the two)

1 cup of superfine white rice flour (

1 cup of tapioca or potato starch

2 tbls sugar

1 tsp of baking powder

1 tbl cold milk or ice water

1 tsp xantham gum

1/2 tsp salt

Combine dry ingredients and cut in butter or shortening. (If you have a food processor, I mixed dry ingredients with blade then grated butter with grater attachment.)  Add cold milk and it should make a soft dough.  Shape dough into a disk and wrap dough in plastic wrap and place in fridge for a couple of hours.  Remove disk and roll out on rice floured surface like parchment paper.  Place in pie plate.  I turned mine upside down grabbed the parchment and flipped it over.  A little messy, but some practice will improve this method. Fill with favorite pie filling.