Black Grape Pie

Most of the recipes I could find for grape pie called for Concord grapes with seeds and slip skins. As they are not available in this part of the country, I made these pies with black seedless grapes. I could not decide if a lattice or double crust would be better so I made both (I don't think we'll have trouble finding someone to take the second pie) As they were large, I cut the grapes in quarters first. With sweet grapes like Concord, a bit of lemon zest would be in order, but as these grapes were already somewhat tart, I limited the additions to a cup of sugar. You could add ¼ of a cup of either Port or Concord grape wine (reduce the sugar a bit if you do-that stuff is sweet) for a more "grown-up" pie, but I kept the whole thing simple here. I think the pies would do well with a bit of ice cream or heavy cream at serving time and I would serve it cold, or at room temperature-not warmed. The fragrance is amazing.

This is a source of great debate at our house, whether or not to refrigerate leftover pie. Being summer, and a rather juicy pie, I would err on the side of caution and stick it in the fridge. My husband insists that it is not necessary. Use your judgment. I don't feel that the pie is harmed any by the refrigeration, but pie purists may disagree.

You Will Need:

(For a 9-inch pie)

1 double crust (top and bottom)
4-5 cups black grapes, quartered (if large)
1-cup sugar
5 tablespoons flour (I use a highly milled one that is sold as a sauce flour)
Butter for dotting
Cream and sugar for glazing the crust

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

Combine sugar and flour in a bowl. Mix with the cut fruit and pour into piecrust. Dot with about a tablespoon of butter. Brush heavy cream over top (or lattice) and sprinkle lightly with sugar. Bake 30 minutes and then check it. If the top is burning, cover it with foil and lower temperature to 400. Bake about 35-40 minutes or until bubbling. Cool before serving.