Growing at the Speed of Life - A Year in the Life of My First Kitchen Garden

MEYER LEMON PIE

While the classic Key Lime Pie is made with
small limes from southern Florida, you can sub­
stitute your own Meyer lemons for an extraor­
dinary difference.
SERVES 8

½ recipe Pie Crust (see page 289)
Dried beans, any variety

For the Filling
4 teaspoons freshly grated lemon zest
½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
4 egg yolks
1 (14-ounce) can nonfat sweetened condensed
milk

For the Meringue
2 egg whites
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
¼ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Roll out the pie crust to fit an 8-inch pie tin.
Lay the rolled dough in the pan without
stretching it, and crimp the edge. Prick with a
fork. Lay a piece of parchment or waxed paper
in the pie shell and pour in enough dried beans
to cover the bottom. These will act as pie
weights to keep the crust from bubbling up
while baking. Bake for 8 minutes or until
golden brown. Reduce the heat to 350°F.
To make the filling, combine the zest, juice,
egg yolks, and milk in a bowl with a whisk.

Pour into the baked crust and bake 15 minutes.

When the pie is done—a thin knife will come

out clean—remove it from the oven and in­

crease the heat to 425°F.

While the pie is baking, make the meringue.

Beat the egg whites until foamy. Then add the

cream of tartar. When they reach the soft -peak

stage, sprinkle in the sugar and continue to

beat until the meringue holds stiff peaks. Beat

the vanilla in at the end. Spoon the meringue

around the sides of the pie and seal to prevent

it from shrinking. Scoop the rest into the cen­

ter and smooth it down. Pick up peaks with the

back of a spoon and bake for 4 minutes or until

golden brown.

Per serving : 293 calories, 7 g fat, 3 g saturated fat (9%

calories from saturated fat), 49 g carbohydrate, 7 g

protein, 0 g dietary fiber, 108 mg sodium. Exchanges:

1½ Fat, 2½ Carbohydrate

SAUTÉED MUSHROOMS



WITH LEMON AND DILL

Lemon juice takes the place of fat, does a great

job of enhancing the browning, and boosts the

flavor of the mushrooms in a whole new way.

SERVES 4

1 pound 1-inch-diameter white or brown

mushrooms

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ teaspoon dried dill

⅛ teaspoon cayenne

174 • GROWING AT THE SPEED OF LIFE