A slice of Mock Apple Pie.
Ingredients:
4 cups sliced zucchini
dash of salt
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
dash of nutmeg
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 - 3 tablespoons butter
Pastry for a double crust pie
Method:
Peel and cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and cut in slices crosswise. Cook in lightly salted water until barely tender. Drain and place into cold water for 5 minutes. Drain again. Add to dry ingredients. Preheat oven to 400*. Prepare pie dough.
Crust Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup butter
1/3 shortening
6 to 7 tablespoons very cold water
Method:
In a mixing bowl sift together flour and salt. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or two knives, until the pieces are the size of small peas. Next, use your fingers to blend until the flour mixture looks more like cornmeal. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the water over part of the mixture; gently toss with a fork. Push to side of bowl. repeat until all is moistened. Divide bowl in ha;f and form into dough into two balls.
On a lightly floured surface, flatten dough with hands. With a floured rolling pin, roll one ball of dough from center to edges, forming a circle about 12 inches in diameter. Wrap pastry around rolling pin. Unroll onto a 9 inch pie plate. Ease pastry into pie plate, being careful not to stretch the pastry. Trim pastry even with the edge of the pie plate. Turn zucchini mixture into pastry lined pie pan. Sprinkle with lemon juice and dot with butter. Roll out remaining pie dough. Cut slits in a "sun" pattern to allow steam to escape. Wrap pastry around rolling pin and unroll top crust on top of filling. Trim top crust a 1/2 inch beyond the edge of the pie pan. Fold top crust under the edge of the bottom crust. Pinch dough between fingers to flute the edge. Bake for 40 minutes, or until crust is golden brown.
Note: This zucchini pie really does taste and look like apple.
(If you don't confess, no one will suspect that it isn't!)
