A Trio of Fish Taco Condiments

For my last meal at home, I opted for fish tacos. This is a meal that my family has only recently—in the last few years or so—started to make regularly. Although certain elements are always constants—the fish of course, good spicy salsa, and my mom’s cheese dip—I like to make different condiments to go alongside. Since we eat fish tacos most often in the summer, I also prefer to take advantage of fresh fruits and vegetables. The fresh toppings just taste better in the summer, offering cool contrasts to the spicier fish and salsa.

Usually the condiments are a reflection of whatever we happen to have in the refrigerator at the moment. Case in point: this pineapple and cucumber relish. The pineapple is sweet and juicy while the cucumber offers a crispness and crunch. A little hot sauce rounds out the flavors, and salt (ever the culinary workhorse) brings out the sweetness and juices in the pineapple and cucumber.

The guacamole is usually on the table but it’s taken me a while to get it just right since there are so many factors at play in guacamole. The texture should be creamy but not so smooth that it’s pureed (on the other hand, it shouldn’t be too chunky). I also like the contrasting texture that tomatoes provide: they lend a savory flavor that pairs well with avocado and their juiciness also smooths the guacamole out. In terms of seasoning, I usually go with salt, pepper, hot sauce, and dashes of cumin and cilantro (either dried or fresh). The cumin and cilantro are takeaways from my mom, who has instilled in me the proper way to make guacamole and perfect cheese dip, among other things.

The final condiment, a creamy carrot salad, is my homage to the coleslaw or cabbage that is often served with fish tacos on the West Coast. It’s utterly simple, equal parts creamy, sweet, and crunchy. I love the idea of a carrot salad, but not the heavy mayonnaise dressing that usually adorns it. My solution? A tart yogurt dressing with fresh citrus that pairs perfectly with grilled fish. 

In fact, my favorite part about these condiments is that they are as good complementing a fish taco as they are as dips for tortilla chips or vegetables, with chicken or shrimp, on sandwiches, and of course—like you even need to ask—on their own. Sometimes I’m more tempted by the fish taco accompaniments than the fish tacos themselves, but I’m not sure there’s such a thing as Fish Taco Condiment Night. Not yet anyway.

Pineapple and Cucumber Relish
 
This relish is wonderful with fish tacos, but it’s also great with other seafood like shrimp or scallops or with chicken. Alternatively, serve it as a dip with chips or crudité for a new take on fruit salsa.

Yield: about 2 cups

½ medium pineapple
¼ cup cucumber, diced into ½-inch pieces
Kosher salt
Hot sauce, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped assorted fresh herbs, such as basil, parsley, cilantro, and mint

Dice ¾ of the pineapple into ½-inch pieces and place in a medium bowl. Grate the remainder on the small holes of a box grater. The pineapple will break up and become very juicy and pulpy. Transfer pineapple pulp and all juice to medium bowl with diced pineapple and add cucumber. Season pineapple and cucumber liberally with salt. Add hot sauce to taste (I go with 4 or 5 dashes). Add chopped herbs.

Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 or 5 hours. Serve chilled. Leftovers will keep, covered well and kept in the refrigerator, for up to 3 days.

Guacamole

Guacamole is most aesthetically pleasing when served right after it’s made, lest the avocado oxidize and turn a murky greenish brown. I’ve tried all the “secrets” designed to ward off this unwanted effect, from adding acid to the guacamole to storing it with an avocado pit, and nothing has ever worked. Luckily, leftovers stored in the refrigerator taste just as good, if not better, than freshly made guacamole, and only the surface of the guacamole oxidizes. Simply stir the guacamole a bit and it will be almost as green as new. 

Yield: about 2 cups

2 ripe Haas avocados
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ medium tomato, diced into ½-inch pieces
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce, to taste
1/8 teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon dried cilantro or 1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

In a medium bowl, mash avocados with a fork until creamy but some chunks still remain. Add lemon juice and tomato and stir to combine. Season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce (I go with 4 to 5 dashes), to taste. Add cumin and cilantro and stir to combine. Serve immediately.

Leftovers will keep, covered well and kept in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

Creamy Carrot Salad
 
I use Greek yogurt in the dressing because we have it on hand more often than plain yogurt. However, you can use plain yogurt and omit the water. To shred the carrots, peel them first and then grate on the large holes of a box grater. 

Yield: about 2 cups

2 tablespoons Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon water
½ teaspoon sugar
Kosher salt and fresh black pepper
2 cups shredded carrots





In a medium bowl, whisk together Greek yogurt, lemon juice, water, and sugar. Season well with salt and pepper. Add carrots and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve, at least 30 minutes and up to 4 or 5 hours. Serve chilled. Leftovers will keep, covered well and kept in the refrigerator, for up to 4 days.

Plum Frangipane Tart

Have you ever tasted frangipane?

Perhaps, like me, you once saw it on a restaurant menu, became intrigued, and then ordered it without an inkling of an idea what it was or what it would taste like.

Mmmm…. Almonds. And sugar. And butter. Delicious. And with fruit? Forget about it. Too good to pass up.

I know. Frangipane. Sounds fancy. But it couldn’t be easier to make. If you are in possession of a food processor or nut grinder, you are mere minutes away from beholding its wonderful taste and smell.

Perhaps, like me, you tried it once and then could not get it out of your head. So much so that the second query on your browser after you type in “f” is frangipane (after Facebook, of course). (This is only a slight exaggeration.)

Perhaps, like me, despite a minor obsession with the stuff, you’ve only ventured to make it once (once!) in the more than two years since first trying it. 

Yes, it turns out that frangipane is just as at home in a cake as in a tart, where you’ll usually find it. But this is not about a cake (delicious though it may be).

Perhaps, like me, you figured it was about time you put your beautiful fluted tart pan to good use, sliced up a few tart and rosy plums, and nestled them in a fantastic concoction of almonds, sugar, and butter. How could this get any better?

Oh, that’s right. A few splashes of crème de cassis.

It’s not often that I tell you to make something rightthisminute. But plums are at their peak right now. Their inherent tartness is softened ever so slightly by baking, offering a welcome contrast to a rich but restrained almond filling and a crisp pastry crust.

This is a tart that’s perfect for company or parties—it’s a beauty—but don’t wait for a fancy celebration to make it. Perhaps, like me, you think plain old Wednesday is as good an occasion as any to enjoy a plum and frangipane tart.

Plain old Wednesdays have never been so good.

Plum Frangipane Tart
Adapted from Bon Appetit via Smitten Kitchen 

In place of crème de cassis, you can you framboise, brandy, or another berry liqueur. If you like you can also add a glaze by melting 2 teaspoons of creme de cassis (or another liqueur) with 1/4 cup of red currant jelly over medium-low heat. Brush the baked tart with the jelly and allow to cool before serving.

Yield: 1 (9-inch) tart (about 8 servings)

For the pastry crust:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons ice water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

For filling:
2 ounces whole raw almonds (about 1/3 cup)
1/3 cup sugar
1 large egg
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 teaspoons crème de cassis
12 ounces ripe plums (about 2 large), cut into 3/4-inch wedges

To make the crust, set an oven rack to the center position and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse to combine. Scatter butter over flour and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add water and vanilla and process until moist clumps form.

Gather dough into a ball. Wrap in plastic and flatten into a 1-inch-tall disk. Refrigerate for 2 hours or freeze for 15 to 20 minutes. Once the dough is thoroughly chilled, roll out on a floured surface to a 12-inch round. Carefully lift the dough over a 9-inch tart pan and ease into the tart pan and up the sides, taking care not the stretch the dough. Trim the dough so it is flush with the edge of the pan  If the dough tears, simply patch it up with the scraps. Pierce the bottom of the dough with a fork and refrigerate for 15 minutes.

After 15 minutes, spray a large piece of tin foil with nonstick spray and place in the crust, sprayed-side down. Fill the crust with dried beans or pie weights and bake until pale blonde and the crust is set, about 20 minutes. Remove the foil and beans or weights and continue baking for 10 more minutes, until the crust is golden. Cool on a rack. Maintain oven temperature.

Meanwhile, make the frangipane filling. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, finely grind almonds with sugar. Add egg, butter, and crème de cassis. Process until a smooth batter forms. Pour the filling into the prebaked tart crust. Arrange the plum slices in concentric circles atop the filling and bake until plums are tender and the filling is golden and set, about 50 minutes.

Cool tart on a rack and serve at room temperature. The tart can be made a day ahead and kept at room temperature until ready to serve. Leftovers will keep, refrigerated and covered, for up to 3 days.

Summer Squash Frittata

I feel as if I have just woken up from a long sleep, a midsummer hibernation.

About a month ago I got it in my head that I wanted to read all seven Harry Potter books before fall semester started. It was a pretty ambitious goal, especially since at the time I was still working all day and came home tired and unwilling to do much of anything. But I was determined to get through the thousands of pages and hundreds of chapters. Suffice it to say that I've done a lot of reading this summer (ten books in all), and now that I've finished the seventh and final book in the series, I'm sort of at a loss of what to do.

Particularly in the last week and a half, I've done nothing but read. All day and often late into the night, sometimes forgoing lunch or dinner for just one more chapter. It was incredible. After cooking and baking, reading is my favorite way to pass the time. I loved getting lost in the books, in the fantastic world J.K. Rowling created, in horcruxes and pensieves, Quidditch and charms. These books surpassed my expectations in every way imaginable. Rowling's writing and storytelling really inspire me. No detail goes unexplained, and I am continually amazed at the the vividness of her characters. I think I could read these books forever and continue to get something out of them. I only wish I had started to read them earlier in the summer; then I could have had the time to read them through a second time. (Seriously.) 

All this is to say that with so much reading, I haven't had too much time for cooking. On the few occasions that I decided I could put my book down for a few hours and make a meal, I was drawn toward quick-cooking dinners that highlighted fantastic summer produce. One of our favorites this summer has been frittata, a quick-cooking style of omelet. Start to finish it takes about thirty minutes and we've enjoyed it with everything from mushrooms to peppers to spinach. This particular version has sliced zucchini and summer squash, sauteed onions and garlic, and salty Parmesan cheese and fresh basil on top. Perfect alongside a crisp green salad, this frittata is the perfect easy dinner (or lunch or breakfast), and easily adaptable for all seasons.

Summer Squash Frittata with Parmesan and Basil

Instead of squash, try mushrooms, peppers, spinach, fennel, asparagus, roasted tomatoes, or corn. Check out my post on strata for ingredient combinations. In total you'll want about 3 to 4 cups of vegetables or other add-ins (such as cooked chicken or sausage). In place of Parmesan, you can also use goat cheese (with sweet potatoes and thyme, it's another favorite), Fontina, Manchego, Gruyere, or sharp cheddar. Similarly, try different herbs to match your tastes and the season; everything from marjoram to rosemary to parsley would be delicious.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

1 teaspoon olive oil 
1/2 medium onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)
2 cloves minced garlic
2 medium yellow squash, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
1 medium zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 eggs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons chopped or chiffonade basil

Add olive oil to a 10-inch nonstick pan and heat over medium-high heat. Position an oven rack to the center position and heat the broiler on high. Add onion to pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent and begins to soften, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds, stirring contantly.

Add both squashes to the pan, spreading slices as evenly as possible. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until squash is tender and slightly browned, onions are browned, and all the moisture in the pan has evaporated, about 10 minutes more.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, beat eggs and mustard. Season liberally with salt and pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of cheese and stir to combine. Pour eggs over sauteed vegetables as evenly as possible, tilting pan to distribute the eggs throughout the pan if necessary. Cover pan with lid and cook for 5 minutes. The eggs will be mostly set around the edges but the top will still be runny.

After 5 minutes, uncover the pan, sprinkle with remaining tablespoon of cheese, and transfer to the broiler. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes more, until eggs are set and cheese is melted. Remove from the broiler and sprinkle with fresh basil. Serve immediately or cool and serve at room temperature.

The frittata will keep, covered and refrigerated, for up to 5 days.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

I've never understood the popularity of candles, soaps, and fragrances that smell like foods. Vanilla bean or citrus is one thing, but yesterday I was at Bath and Body Works and was quite shocked at the "Gourmet" (their name, not mine) line of scents that they have. There was Mint Chocolate (quite delicious, actually, but who wants their hands to smell like a peppermint patty?), Apple Crumble (oddly tart and sweet smelling, nothing at all like a true apple crumble), and various scents of pumpkin (why so many?). A quick perusal of their website also reveals such atrocities as S'mores, a whole assortment of Donut "flavors," Honey Pretzel, and PB&J. Why do people want to walk their bedrooms, kitchens, or bathrooms to smell like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? (Perhaps the better question is what exactly a peanut butter and jelly sandwich actually smells like.)

Certainly there is a market to be made producing scents associated with familiar, nostalgic smells like the toasty smell of warm s'mores or a hot apple pie. But I just don't get, and I don't think I'll ever support this rather strange trend. That is, until someone can successfully replicate the scent of browned butter.

Yes, browned butter. It is marvelous stuff. The smell is nearly intoxicating, a blend of perfectly roasted nuts and melted butter, but to simply leave it at that would be to do browned butter a great disservice. I daresay browned butter is something akin to liquid gold, but don't take my word for it. Just make these cookies.

When I first made my 20 Before 20 list a few months ago I wanted to put things on it that would both challenge and inspire me. Chocolate chip cookies may seem to accomplish neither of these two goals, but this recipe... oh, this recipe does just that.

On the one hand, I was quite challenged to wait an entire day before eating one. The recipe, though, is almost simple as it gets, although not surprisingly a bit unorthodox since it comes from Cook's Illustrated. These are the chocolate chip cookies I imagine a wise grandmother would make, and I felt rather old-fashioned as I stood there with my wooden spoon and glass mixing bowl, not an electronic gadget in sight. Yes, these are the best kind of cookies: the sort that are simple to pull together when you decide it's just the afternoon for a warm chocolate chip cookie.

A word about pairings: if you're old-fashioned you'll enjoy these with a glass of cold milk. The more sophisticated of you will reach for a glass of red wine. Me? I can think of nothing better than a mug of hot coffee. 

As for inspiration, I admit it's a bit far-fetched to feel inspired by chocolate chip cookies, which are as ubiquitous and pedestrian a cookie as they come. But not these. The browned butter renders them chewy and contributes to the toffee and caramel flavors that come through in each bite. The chocolate adds a pleasant bittersweetness; the cookie's substantial size renders them crispy at the edges but gloriously chewy in the center, just what I seek in a cookie. Suffice it to say that after enjoying these cookies I became wholly inspired, both by the interplay of its various components and by the magical powers of browned butter. It didn't take long for me to decide that everything would be made better by this culinary gift, from oatmeal cookies to pecan pie. 

And until someone finally devises a Browned Butter candle to stick in the middle of the kitchen to give the illusion of it sitting in a pan on the stove, I'm perfectly fine with making it myself and reaping the rewards of putting it in any and everything.

Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Adapted from Cook's Illustrated

Avoid using a nonstick skillet to brown the butter, as the dark coating makes it hard to judge when the butter has browned. It's important to follow the directions carefully for stirring and resting the batter: waiting allows the sugar to fully dissolve and therefore caramelize more fully when the cookies bake. If you like, add 3/4 cup of chopped toasted pecans or walnuts along with the chocolate chips. Baking the trays 1 at a time may seem fussy, but it ensures that they cook evenly. These are best straight out of the oven (what cookies aren't?), but to recreate the effect of fresh-baked cookies you can warm a few in a 300-degree oven for about 5 minutes before enjoying.

Yield: about 16 cookies

1 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
14 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon table salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg plus 1 large egg yolk
1 1/4 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large (18- by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, whisk flour and baking soda; set aside.

Heat 10 tablespoons butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat until melted, about 2 minutes. Continue cooking, swirling pan and stirring constantly with a wooden spoon or whisk, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, about 2 to 3 more minutes. The butter will make a hissing, sizzling sound as it browns. Be careful not to cook it too much, as it can quickly turn from gloriously browned to hopelessly burnt. Remove skillet from heat and transfer browned butter to a large heatproof bowl. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons butter to the hot melted butter and stir until completely melted.

Add both sugars, salt, and vanilla to butter and whisk until fully incorporated. Add egg and yolk and whisk until mixture is completely smooth and no lumps remain. Let mixture stand 3 minutes, then whisk for 30 seconds. Repeat process of resting and whisking 2 more times until mixture is thick, smooth, and shiny. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined, about 1 minute. Stir in the chocolate chips and nuts (if using), giving the dough a final stir to make sure no flour pockets remain.

Score the dough evenly into 4 quarters, then score each quarter into 4 quarters, for a total of 16 portions of dough. Shape dough into rough balls and place on baking sheets, 8 portions to a sheet, each portion placed about 2 inches apart.

Bake cookies 1 tray at a time until cookies are golden brown and puffy and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft, about 14 minutes, rotating the baking sheet from front to back halfway through baking. Transfer the baking sheet to a wire rack to cool.

Cookies will keep, stored in an airtight container at room temperature, for up to 3 days. Rewarm cookies in a low oven for a few minutes for a fresh-baked taste.

Peach and Blueberry Lattice Pie

If I could, I would make cheesecake the quintessential American dessert. Maybe then it would finally garner the attention it so deserves and people would stop making these things called "no-bake cheesecakes," which irritate me to no end. (I'll spare you the rant about a no-bake "cheesecake" not being a cheesecake at all, because pretty soon I'd begin to rant about other terminology that irks me, like "easy peasy." But I digress.)

As it is, it doesn't look like pie, which is firmly ground in its place as the all-American dessert, is going anywhere soon. And to be honest, I've never really understood the lure of pie much anyway. I'm much more of a slice-of-cake or rustic fruit dessert type of girl anyway. Pie is good, no doubt, but it doesn't conjure the same cravings as a slice of dense, frosting-topped cake or warm, bubbly fall fruit crumble. Like I said, I've never understood what was so great about pie.

Until now.

Indeed, I realize now more than ever that my apathy toward pie was likely just mischanneled fear of it. As much as I like to think of myself as an accomplished baker, I'd yet to truly master pie dough, the thing that makes pie so unique, so tasty, for nothing quite comes close to its alluring and fleeting combination of flakiness and tenderness. I believe I once said that I hated it. That was over a year ago, and since then my only attempt at pie dough was the day before Thanksgiving. Note to self: don't haphazardly make pie dough when you are simultaneously juggling cranberry sauces, pumpkin cheesecake, rum raisin bread pudding, and homemade ice cream. It's just not a good idea.

Forming a lattice top crust is a bit of extra work but oh so worth it when the finished pie emerges gloriously from the oven. 

Because pie should not be stressful. Quite the opposite really. It strikes me as such an organic thing: cutting the butter into the flour, rolling it into a misshapen circle, pouring in a sweet filling, and then whisking it out of the oven bubbling hot. It's a very Rockwellesque picture, and certainly no one seventy-five years ago was stressing out about pie. Yet nearly every recipe I've ever seen for pie dough comprises everything I avoid in recipes for baked goods: ranges of ingredients, warnings about temperamental ingredients, and vague descriptions of steps. It wasn't until a few weeks ago that I found a recipe that took away all that balderdash (sorry, currently just finished reading HP4 and subconsciously wrote this word, one of the Gryffindor house passwords) and replaced it with something I can get behind: reason and science. Created by a former recipe developer for Cook's Illustrated (he is actually the person who developed the now-famous vodka pie crust recipe), this pie dough is quite unconventional in its technique, but what results is a dough that I'm confident will work for me whenever I decide to make pie, which will be a lot more often than the current one-a-year quota I currently have going.

Beautiful, delicious fresh summer peaches and blueberries: hardly anything else is needed. 

This time, I decided to highlight fresh summer peaches, which have been achingly good this season, with marble-sized blueberries, all nestled comfortably under a lattice crust. I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't (vocally) admiring my work as it emerged from the oven, the crust tanned golden brown, the sweet fruit bubbling, and the scent of butter mixing with sugar filling the kitchen. It was, quite simply, the most beautiful thing I'd ever created.

Oh, and it tasted pretty fantastic, too.

Peach and Blueberry Lattice Pie
Crust adapted from Serious Eats, filling inspired by Martha Stewart's Cooking School

It's important to use a scale when measuring the flour in the crust. If your peaches are very ripe, simply peel them with a paring knife. Otherwise, cut an "X" into the bottom of each peach and put them in a pot of boiling water for 30 to 60 seconds, until the skins start to blister and peel away from the flesh. Remove them from the water, place in a bowl of ice water, and, once cool, peel the skins. Taste your fruit before you add sugar to it. My fruit was very sweet, so I added a scant 1/2 cup of sugar. You may need to add up to 3/4 cup sugar. The cinnamon in the filling is optional and lends a very subtle warmth to the finished pie. A bit of ginger would be delicious in its place, too.

Yield: 1 9-inch pie, or about 8 servings

For the crust:
12.5 ounces all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
20 tablespoons (2 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
7 tablespoons cold water

For the filling:
2 1/4 pounds peaches (about 4 large), peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges
1/2 pound blueberries
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2-3/4 cup sugar, depending on the sweetness of the fruit, plus 1 teaspoon
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)
1 egg, beaten

To make the pie dough, combine 8 ounces of the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of food processor fitted with the steel blade. Pulse twice to incorporate. Scatter butter pieces evenly over the surface and pulse until no dry flour remains and the dough just begins to collect into clumps, about 25 short pulses. Sprinkle the remaining 4.5 ounces of flour over the butter/flour mixture and pulse just until the dough is broken up, about 5 short pulses. Transfer the dough to a large bowl.

Sprinkle the dough with water and, using a rubber spatula, fold and press dough until it comes together into a ball. Divide the ball in half. Wrap each half of dough in plastic and form into a 1-inch tall disk. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or freeze for 15 to 30 minutes before rolling.

Once dough is thoroughly chilled, flour your surface and rolling pin liberally with flour. Roll out the first disk, turning often and reflouring your surface and rolling pin as necessary. Once the dough has reached a diameter of about 12 inches, carefully lift it over a 9-inch glass pie pan. Ease it into the pie pan, being careful not to stretch it too much. Transfer the pie dish to a foil-lined baking sheet and refrigerate.

Roll out the second disk of dough just as the first. Once it reaches a diameter of 12 inches, carefully lift it to a foil-lined baking sheet. Using a pastry wheel, pizza cutter, or knife, cut it into 1 inch-wide strips. Refrigerate the strips until ready to use.

To make the peach and blueberry filling, combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl. Toss well. If the fruit is producing a lot of juice, you can transfer some of this juice to a small saucepan set over medium-low heat and reduce it for a few minutes (it will thicken some). Allow to cool and add back to the fruit.

To bake the pie, set an oven rack to the middle position and preheat an oven to 400 degrees F. Pour the fruit filling into the unbaked pie shell. Place 4 lattice strips on the pie. Pull back the first and third strips halfway and place a long strip over them in the middle of the pie, at a 90-degree angle. Unfold the first and third lattice strips. Next pull back the second and fourth strips halfway and place another long strip over them, next to the first perpendicular strip. Unfold the second and fourth strips. Repeat twice more on the other half of the pie, once with the first and third strips and once with the second and fourth strips. For detailed instructions with pictures, you can visit this tutorial.

Once the lattice is formed, trim the bottom crust and lattice so that each has a 1-inch overhang. Pinch the two crusts together and, if desired, crimp. Brush the top crust of the pie with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the remaining teaspoon of sugar.

Put the pie, still situated on a foil-lined baking sheet, into the oven. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and continue baking for about 65 more minutes, until the bottom and top crusts are golden and the fruit is bubbling. Tent the pie with foil if it is browning too quickly.

Transfer the pie to a rack to cool completely, at least 4 hours or overnight. Pie can be made a day ahead. Store pie at room temperature before serving. Leftovers will keep covered loosely in the refrigerator, for up to 2 days.