pOp Rocks Pie

I thought that I might make this wonderful tart that I have found as a standby over the years to accommodate my wonderful blackberry surplus. It is a fairly simple recipe and always a winner. I even managed to forget the sugar in the crumble once and it still came out great. I adapted the recipe from one featured in Gourmet magazine about two years ago. That recipe called for raspberries, but I have made it with apples, blueberries and a mixture of berries. It comes out amazing every time…

Yesterday’s tart adventure was not such a hit, however. Apparently there is a reason that I have never sat down in a restaurant and dug in to a blackberry pie. I thought that culinary legend was about to be born in my kitchen, with the unveiling of such an uncommon delicacy. Think again...

Blackberries, as I pointed out in my previous blog entry are well… seedy. As I was to find out last night, this unique, crunchy characteristic does not change with heat. The tart was bubbling and delicious when I removed it from the oven. As always it appeared perfect in every way. With a golden top and even browned bottom. I couldn’t wait to dig in.
An annual University barbeque took me away from my precious creation. It sat to cool on the stove for the better part of the evening as we dug into an assortment of the usual cookout fare at our local park on the waterfront. It was a beautiful evening to be on the lake, and the juicy grilled meat provided distraction from my berry experiment.

We returned home to the tempting site of the tart welcoming us in the kitchen. It wasn’t long before I had convinced Jamie that we were hungry again, and the tart was divided onto plates and relocated to the living room to be enjoyed over television. I eagerly dug into my gooey tart and was alarmed as I began to chew. “Crunch crunch CRUNCH” the crunches were audible over the television as I took my first tastes of the tart. Jamie too was crunching. The novelty of the seeds loudly crunching in our teeth was quickly wearing off and giving way to frustration. My blackberry tart, though tasty was not pleasant to eat.
Apparently there is a reason why you don’t see blackberry pie advertized often. I did some research on the internet and found a surprising number of blackberry pie recipes that included no fruit at all, only blackberry Jello mix! I suppose Jello is much kinder on the teeth then the thousands of seeds stuffed into my tart. Jamie and I crunched our way through the tart, laughing out loud at each other as we filled the air with crunching sounds. Not one to give up a treat, I reluctantly offered my remaining tart to the pooches on the floor who were anxiously awaiting their opportunity to investigate the crunching. Oliver quickly gobbled up what he could. Not one to chew his food too extensively there was minimal crunching, but it was present all the same. Finnegan, being the more discerning eater in the house opted for the butter laden crust, plucking a large piece off of the plate and retreating under the coffee table.
All in all the experience was a learning process. I will probably find an excuse to puree my blackberries next time I cook with them. Perhaps they are best consumed whole, right off of the bush in the middle of the woods.