Blueberry Meringue Pie is a perennial favorite

(The blueberries stay nice and plump suspended in the meringue filling)

After picking nearly 10 pounds of blueberries this weekend, I've got visions of blueberries dancing in my head, so here's one of my favorite pie recipes using these little gems.

These plump, meaty berries were thick and ripe at Mead Orchard's pick-your-own patch in Tivoli, so I took a scenic drive up there Saturday and loaded up on the berries to enjoy them fresh and to stash some away in the freezer.

And after eating lots of them plain, I thought about making Blueberry Meringue Pie.
This recipe is one of many simple treats using fresh fruits from "Miriam B. Loo's Tempting Tarts & Pies," a cooking calendar from Current I got back in 1981 and saved all these years, and which I've also posted about on this blog.

I've adapted the recipe a bit by adding a little lemon zest to the filling along with some cinnamon and vanilla. I also use a little whole wheat flour in the crumb topping, and I imagine some rolled oats or sliced almonds would be good as well.

What's nice about this recipe is how light it is — the blueberries are suspended in the fluffy meringue, and it just about melts in your mouth.

The blueberry season is still going strong, so if you have some berries handy or are inclined to go picking, make sure to give this one a try. There should be blueberries for picking every weekend in August at Mead Orchards.

Serve the pie with a dollop of good vanilla ice cream, or it stands alone just fine without any embellishments.
If you make a full recipe for pie dough (for an upper and bottom crust) save half the dough and freeze it for future use. It comes in handy when you want to make a pie with a crumb crust topping.

(Blueberry Meringue Pie is a great summer treat)

Blueberry Meringue Pie

1. 1 baked 9-inch pastry shell
2. 2 egg whites
3. 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
4. 3 tablespoons sugar
5. 3 cups fresh blueberries, cleaned and rinsed
6. grating of lemon zest
7. 1 teaspoon vanilla

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• Mix the lemon zest, vanilla and cinnamon in with the berries in a large bowl.
• Beat the egg whites until they are frothy; add the cream of tartar and beat a bit more. When the peaks start to form, gradually add the sugar and beat until stiff. Fold in the blueberries and spoon into the baked pie shell.

(You can't go wrong with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side)

Crumb topping:

1. 1/2 cup white flour
2. 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
3. 3 tablespoons sugar
4. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
5. 4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

• Mix the flours, sugar and cinnamon into a bowl. Cut in the butter and mix with your fingertips until you get a nice crumbly consistency.
• Sprinkle over the blueberry mixture in the pie shell.
• Bake for about 35 minutes until nice and brown and bubbly.