Peppered Peach Pie

Two things I love, especially in summer: herbs and pie. For my Stop n' Shop series I'm combining the two. To start, I've created "Peppered Peach Pie." I wanted to draw on the savory-sweet deliciousness of peach salsa without the cilantro, replacing it instead with oregano's cousin, floral and delicate marjoram.

Because I like a little heat with most dishes and to emulate the best peach salsa, I added a few pinches of Turkish red pepper, which I had the good fortune of receiving from a friend who was there last year. Turkish red pepper has a mild heat coupled with a rich pepper flavor, not unlike sriracha. (One conservative pinch of crushed red pepper makes a good substitute.) I threw in half a jar of sweet pimientos as well for color.

Heat plus sweetness = summer at its best.

Note that these peaches came from Stop n' Shop and were not ripe, so I macerated them in the sugar and spices for a solid 20 minutes before adding the flour. I also used (blasphemy!) Pillsbury pie crust instead of making my own. I find that when working on fillings it's ok to keep the crust in the background... later this summer I'll do a comprehensive, Cook's Illustrated-esque survey of pie crust recipes to determine what makes the crumbliest, butteriest, and most delectable crust in the whole wide world.

I could never roll a crust in a perfect circle.

Ingredients

1 package Pillsbury pie crust, found in the fridge section (near the cheese) in Stop n' Shop

5 peaches, as ripe as you can find, peeled and sliced

1 plump lemon, juiced

3-5 sprigs fresh marjoram, leaves removed

1/2 jar pimiento peppers

1-2 pinches red pepper

1 cup white sugar

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

1/4 freshly ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour

2 tablespoons butter

Prepare:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Combine the peaches, lemon juice, sugar, marjoram leaves, pimientos, cinnamon, cardamom, salt, red pepper and nutmeg in a large bowl. Let macerate for 20 or more minutes. (If peaches are ripe, mix all ingredients and pour into pie immediately.) 

Add the flour and mix thoroughly. Roll the pre-made pie crust into a 9-inch pie plate and fill with peach mixture. Roll out the second pie crust from the package over the pie and make a few slices to vent.

Bake pie at 450 degrees for 10 minutes, then turn the temperature down to 350 degrees and bake for 30-35 minutes. Keep an eye on the crust and put a foil ring on the edges if they start to brown too quickly. Bake until bubbly and top is golden.

Let rest for at least 30 minutes and serve warm with your favorite vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or creme fraiche. Vive la summer!