Cherry Pie

 I have a very private friend I’ll call Ms L. She has quite a fondness for cherry pies. So I’ve worked up this cherry pie recipe which is really good.

It takes a double crust so I usually just buy one of the premade ones at the grocery store. You can use my crust recipe but use brandy or vodka with cherry pie. https://flatlandfood.blogspot.com/2014/08/peach-pie.html

I’ll assume you have the raw bottom crust in a 9” Pyrex pie pan or a 10” cast iron skillet. 

Preheat  oven To 400° F

Mix the following in a mixing bowl:

• 16 oz dark sweet frozen cherries (from the frozen fruit section in the grocery store)
• 1 21 oz can cherry pie filling (I use the premium one with sugar, no corn syrup and more cherries)
• 1/4 lb dried sour or tart cherries
• Optional. 1/4 lb fresh cherries. Washed, pitted and stems removed. 
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice. (The juice of a large or 2 small lemons)

Stir well and spoon into the pie crust. The canned pie filling will provide all the sugar that you need for this recipe. I assume that some people may want to add more sugar. I like it with less sugar and more tart cherry flavor. 

If you overfill, some will run over during cooking. If you use too little, you will waste the extra cherry mixture that you have to throw away. Choose wisely. 

Hide the following in the cherries. They will need to be stuck into the filling as it sits in the lower crust.

• 2 cinnamon stick broken in half (4 pieces)
• 2 Tbsp cold butter cut in 4 pieces

Now add the top crust. I like a lattice. 

Sprinkle top crust with

• Granulated sugar 

Cook at 400 F for 10-12 min. Don’t let it over brown. 

Reduce heat to 350 and cook 20 more minutes. We just need to cook the crust and get the filling hot. 

  

Serve.

Note: do not let your guests eat the cinnamon sticks. You can remove them before serving. I usually just warn the guests that the cinnamon sticks aren’t very tasty and to be careful not to eat them

Mew Mexico style Turkey Green Chile Posole

If you use the dried posole, like I do, you have to get it ready first.

My recipe (New Years Eve 2023-24)

 New Mexico style Turkey Posole Verde as opposed to the style in many recipes from Mexico or Texas. The difference is that we don’t use tomatillos in New Mexico and seldom garnish with pickled cabbage or radishes.

Prepare posole:

• 1 cup dried posole

1) wash and drain

2) soak for 2 hours in tap water 

3) drain off water

4) in a small saucepan, simmer on low heat for 3 hours in …

• 3 c chicken broth

When posole has blossomed, prepare this in a large pot:

• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1/2 of a large onion chopped (3” onion)
• 4 garlic cloves chopped 
• Pinch of salt

Sauté until translucent. Then add these spices to cook a bit and enhance the flavor. Incidentally, it smells great:

• 1/4 tsp comino
• 1 tsp mexican oregano flakes
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp celery flakes (or chopped leaves)

Stir for 20 secs until the fragrance peaks. 

Add posole and chicken broth mixture to the pot.

Now add the Turkey without the turkey bones (you decide the heat of the green chile). The total weight of turkey is 2 lbs or use all the meat from a good sized rotisserie chicken):

• 1 turkey breast meat already cooked and cubed
• 1 turkey thigh meat already cooked and cubed
• 24-32 oz frozen and thawed green chile or freshly roasted
• Add liquid to cover (approximately 3 c chicken broth)
• (Optional) 1 tsp beef base/boullion

Simmer until all the flavors join and the posole is tender 

Note: you can use canned posole or even hominy in its place. Hominy is too soft but works in a pinch. Just sauté the vegetables and add the drained can with some chicken stock. Then the meat and chile. It saves 3 hours but isn’t as tasty.