life is full

Tags

Albemarle CiderWorks, Albemarle County, apple festival, apples, Vintage Virginia Apples, Virginia

The end of October, I expected life to slow down a bit.
Three hard frosts sent the garden to sleep.
A bit of raking and a few applications of additional mulch finished most chores there. But then…

tons of apples at Albemarle CiderWorks

Brunswick stew in the making

serving up the cauldron

tons more apples

fresh cyder anyone?

apple pie contest

a rural view close to home

sunset one Sunday

earth resonates bounty.
chilled air–blessings abound.

Note: Vintage Virginia Apples, home of Albemarle CiderWorks, grows Black Twig, Winesap, Albemarle Pippin, GoldRush, Pink Lady, and Staymen heirloom apples. Kudos to those who preserve our heritage in agriculture. This fine orchard resides south of Charlottesville, Virginia.

Copyright (c) 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

 

when pie sales reached 2000 …

Tags

"Best Key Lime Pie on the Planet", Charlottesville, Citizen Burger Bar Charlottesville, food, home renovation, key lime pie, one woman operation, restaurants, Virginia

I quit counting. Yes! At last annual count, two-thousand of the best key lime pies on the planet have left my inspected kitchen, made by moi, a one-woman operation since 2000— the pie was introduced in 2005!

Now mind you, I never planned this occupation. However a love of memorable food is what I exploited — in order to manage contractors during a long, and often painful 6.5 year home renovation — and delivered me to this point in life. Presently, a growing, discerning following quietly blooms in my hometown, while these pies have traveled as far north as Maine and as far south as Georgia, lovingly tucked into coolers by guardians of my KLPie.

named by locals as The Best Key Lime Pie on the Planet…made one at a time, every time.

It seems to be the crust that hooks them first, then customers order repeatedly, and then tell their friends. Then their friends become customers.
As a humble one-woman operation, I do not advertise, yet I am the first hit on Google when key lime pie Charlottesville — is searched. Ahem, awesome!

Last July one local restaurant (Citizen Burger Bar) began carrying these pies, and they continue to be the only dessert on their menu. As of last week, weekly orders increased, taunting me with the fantasy that perhaps I can stash enough pie money to 1) take a real vacation, or 2) replace my 13 YO MPV, or 3) really retire, or 4) hire garden help.

This same restaurateur plans to open a sister eatery in Clarendon (Arlington) in 2014, and already inquired if I could keep up with demand. YES! Until my final breath.

So folks,  if you are reading this for the first time, and crave some of the best key lime pie on the planet, you are close. Stop by the restaurant in Charlottesville, or contact me (info on Facebook page) and order your very own. My inspected kitchen is open year round and folks come from all over the state with coolers to fill.

the crusts hook them

Those of you who follow my blog might like to see photos of the completed kitchen countertop renewal. Nice huh?

completed countertop restoration

oh so sleek and baby bottom smooth

my reward for all my effort, grilled Irish cheddar cheese with Irish butter. Yum!
Where is the Guinness???

Life in the foothills of central Virginia is blissfully peaceful, allowing creativity to flow.
My mission is sustainable, my food goal memorable.

 

Copyright © 2013 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

thank a pumpkin

Tags

Buy Fresh Buy Local, Cinderella pumpkin, comfort food, cooking, Cooks Illustrated, healthy food, home garden, Long Island Cheese pumpkin, quick recipes, seasonal food, soup, stretch gardening, Thanksgiving, vegetarian

Fall delivers shapely pumpkins to home gardens and farmer’s markets.
I frequently select a beautiful Cinderella variety—as I relate to the story—work, work, work, during the holidays.

Long Island cheese pumpkin

With Thanksgiving around the corner, I created a luscious soup recipe to share with my dedicated blog followers. It gracefully transitions traditional Halloween décor into a memorable starter or a main course. This pretty pumpkin decorated my front stoop from October until this morning, when she came inside for a final shower.

Next she succumbed to the ice pick…

Next she roasted at 400F for two hours until tender.

cool this beauty before removing seeds and skin

When the roasted pumpkin feels tender to the touch, let it cool then remove the meat from the skin—separating the seeds and string, all while avoiding spills of the copious liquid. In retrospect, simply cut the pumpkin into huge wedges, seed, then roast. I vaguely remember doing this last year and most the liquid evaporated, making the pulp removal a breeze.

Diane’s Recipe: Sauté a large, peeled/sliced sweet white onion in 2T olive oil, add 1.5 lb. drained pumpkin pulp (do this in a strainer), 1T sugar, 2t ground coriander, 4 cups of low sodium vegetable broth (I use Imagine Organic), sea salt and black pepper to taste. Cover and simmer 15 minutes. Add one sliced/peeled/seeded Bartlett pear, remove from heat for 10 minutes. Use a stick blender to puree contents in the pot, or for a finer texture, process in a blender working in batches. Add 2T sweet butter to finish.

Serve in pretty cups garnished with chives and cilantro. Serves 6

Freeze any remaining roasted pulp in 2C containers, as this is the perfect portion for more soup or pumpkin pie. Cooks Illustrated has a perfect pumpkin pie recipe that calls for cooking the pulp a bit more to remove additional liquid…a super solution.

ready for the freezer

the finished soup

Oops, I see the Cinderella light flashing! Now where is that glass slipper??

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

POST SCRIPT: This is pumpkin is actually a Long Island Cheese Pumpkin, an heirloom variety. Another favorite is the Rouge Vif D’Etampes if you can find it.

By the way, check out http://gardenclub.homedepot.com/thank-a-pumpkin-making-pumpkin-soup/ to see this post on the Home Depot Stretch Gardening Series! Who knows what else you will find there! Good Stuff!

Copyright © 2012 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

bread, snow peas, and key lime pie

Tags

birds, farmer's market, feeding backyard birds, food, healthy food, lifestyle, photography, sustainable living

Fridays are always busy here—especially in the kitchen.

Since I rise early, by 10AM there were seven Key Lime Pies cooling in the fridge;

by noon the madeleines were golden and packed neatly into their bags; fifteen pounds of granola await the trip to town and containers of chive/artichoke pesto rest in the freezer.

Fresh bags of chard are tucked along side the pie boxes—the precious snow peas debut tomorrow and will bring high praise dollars. The scones and bread are last items to cool—finally I can unwind until four AM Saturday, when the alarms sound.

I created two additional quick meals in the past two days, adding a few snow peas and spinach from the garden. I do not consume what goes to market, as once the recipe is perfected, the items merely become revenue. I say this following twelve years of specialty baking, an occupation I stumbled upon while supervising contractors during a LONG home renovation. Now that the house is finished, I want to retire from food production, yet my clients threaten to disembowel me if I do.

The next two photos are quick meals over the past two days.

Out in the garden the hydrangeas are spectacular. It struggled for a few years, yet in its new location appears to thrive—a triumph!

Most back yard birds thrive, while Ethel, the flightless grackle, finds the birdbath positioned to accommodate her remaining days. She thoroughly enjoyed this bath—her first.

At dusk a huge raccoon scurried across my lawn, only to climb the cedar tree and gaze down at me—undaunted. I fear Ethel’s days may be numbered, unless her wing feathers support her flight soon. Never a dull  moment in this home, garden, or life.

Remember to glide your mouse over these images for further captions.

Happy Weekend to All!

Copyright © 2012 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved

the thing about pie

Tags

"Best Key Lime Pie on the Planet", Charlottesville, Citizen Burger Bar, key lime pie, Virginia

Back in 2005 I began making key lime pies for the local farmer’s market. Oodles of bakers make fruit pies, yet no one created key lime pie. This dessert is a favorite for many, yet memorable ones are hard to find, even in Florida. My pie stands up to all competition and was quickly named “the Best Key Lime Pie from Maine to Florida”. Two years later it was renamed “the Best Key Lime Pie on the Planet”. 2011 end-of-year accounting revealed that fourteen-hundred-forty KLPies left my kitchen since 2005, each one made personally. I recently learned if one Googles key lime pie Charlottesville, I am the first hit. WoW! Good things do happen to those who rely on word of mouth (and taste buds!)

So for those of you who crave the real deal, and live in the area, a mere phone call will set you adrift in Key Lime Pie heaven. (434.964.0816) or email me at dianelasauce@centurylink.net for special orders. My State inspected kitchen is open year-round. I may soon begin another blog relating to my food journey, or perhaps I shall simply rename this blog home, garden, life, food.

Below is a recent KLP photo. Too bad they cannot ship. Come visit Charlottesville and have a pie to remember!

News Flash: As of June 2012, my Key Lime Pie may be purchased by the slice at Citizen Burger Bar on the downtown mall, Charlottesville, Virginia. Only dessert on their menu. Check it out!

Copyright © 2012 by Diane LaSauce All Rights Reserved