It's a Birthday Bash !!!

We are CELEBRATING big time this week !!  Becca over at It's Yummy is celebrating a milestone birthday (who knew 29 was such a big milestone ??) and lots of bloggers, including myself, are participating by sharing a delicious recipe with all of you! Fun, right ??

A lot of people think Birthday = Cake. I'm a Thanksgiving time baby so for me birthdays usually include PIE. So what better thing to bring to the party than pie ?? I like making things that are as no fuss as possible and a crostata, or galette as they are sometimes called, is the perfect fuss-free pie that's super easy, super delicious and just a snap to put together.

So let's start with out ingredients. Birthday begins with B and so does BLUEBERRY !! Blueberries are very good for you too- they are loaded with cancer-fighting compounds and all sorts of vitamins and healthy fiber. We don't load our rustic pie with ten tons of sugar either- just a touch. Blueberries are naturally sweet and don't need a lot of messing with. So let's get started with our........

Birthday Blueberry Crostata

You will need:

pastry for one pie crust 

2-3 cups fresh blueberries (see note)

1/4 sugar

zest of 1/2 lemon or lime

juice of 1/2 lemon or lime

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup melted butter

*Note- I used blueberries that I had bought earlier in season, washed, dried and spread out on cookie sheets and frozen, then bagged up. They are super convenient, easy to measure because they are "loose" and not a frozen blob, and great to have on hand. No need to thaw them before using either !! You can choose lemon or lime, whichever you prefer. I like lime, it really accents the blueberries deliciously.

On lightly floured surface, roll your pastry out into a 9 or 10 inch circle. It doesn't have to be a PERFECT circle- this is a rustic looking pie so an uneven edge adds to that. You can cheat if you want to and use a store bought ready-crust- it's already a circle! You can go a little larger but keep in mind that you will need this to fit on a rimmed baking sheet. Transfer pastry to a large piece of buttered foil- I like to use the foil, but you can put it directly on the rimmed baking sheet if you like. Sometimes the juices run out a bit and if I use foil, cleanup is a snap. Place the pastry in the middle of the baking sheet and set aside.

In a bowl toss together the blueberries, zest, juice, sugar and flour. Some people like to add a pinch of cinnamon- I am not a fan, I like the clean berry taste and the citrus accents that nicely. Toss together until the berries are well coated with the mixture. I give a 2-3 cup variation because some people roll the pastry out into a larger circle- play with amounts and see what works best for you. If you've rolled out your pastry and 2 cups is not enough, go for 3.

Pile about half of the berry mixture on the pastry, leaving at least 2 inches uncovered all around. You can pile this pretty high in the middle. Start bringing the pastry edges up and pleat/fold and pinch as necessary to get the pastry to hold. Pile the rest of the berries on top, tucking some under the pastry if you need to. You should be able to fit all the berries on there. They will cook down as it bakes. Drizzle the melted butter all over the berries and pop in a 375 degree oven for about 45 minutes to an hour. The pastry should be deep golden brown and the berries bubbling and fragrant. Remove from over and cool. Delicious served warm with a scoop of that birthday ice cream!

Super simple and so delicious. Try it and let me know what you think!

****Sorry but the giveaway portion is over. Stay tuned though- we will have more giveaways coming!