30 Days of Summer at Modern Times Coffeehouse: Day 7

Tuesday is one of the most important days of the week at Modern Times. Tuesday is the day that the pie delivery arrives in the coffeehouse. We purchase our pies from a local, one-woman company called Sweet Rose. Sweet Rose is really Ms. Diane Gross, a licensed commercial baker.

Now I can guarantee you that even the quaintest, country road-take-me-home looking pies from your typical "natural" grocery have at least one component that is pre-made, either a pre-made pie crust, or a processed filling (which uses pre-cut fresh or frozen fruit or even an entirely pre-made filling). These methods can produce perfectly fine pies. After all, ANY pie is better than NO pie. Plus we don't judge too harshly here when it comes to pie-- one of my favorite pie recipes involves Lucky Leaf canned cherry pie filling and generic brand transfatty margarine.

However, Sweet Rose makes all her pies by hand, which if you have ever tried to make a pie, is very time consuming. The crust has to chill, not once, but twice; you have to wash, peel, seed, pit, core, slice and dice the filling ingredients, and then there is the assemblage-- the crimping, latticeworking, and steam vent-slitting. Many people ask us if these pies are "real, homemade pies". While they aren't made at her personal home (which is not legal, not yet anyway), she does make them as if she were at home, preparing the crust and filling from scratch.

Diane uses fruits that are in season so her pie choices rotate throughout the year. Right now she is making peach pies and blackberry pies. Later in the fall, her apple pie is a favorite with our customers. What are your favorite pies?

(By the way, Sweet Rose also makes the biscotti that we sell-- almond anise, chocolate hazelnut, pistachio cranberry).

Remember, Tuesdays and Saturdays are pie delivery days. Please come by on those days and try out this pie!