It’s fall.

Lebanon hasn’t failed to show us that. Days of rain and storms, cold weather, and autumn fruits.

I think I’m starting to grow fond of spring and autumn. They are the seasons that have moderate temperatures, beautiful clear weather and delicious produce (although I wouldn’t lie to you, I’m taking a jacket with me to work and I’m having a thick cover at night over me)

What’s best about this time of the year is that you can still have (end of) summer produce and autumn’s. I went one day to the market and got myself some nectarines, apples, and tomatoes (that I failed to sundry) after buying some plates and bowls to photograph food in. Nectarines were fresh and fragrant. Their fiery red-striped orange skin revealed a sweet and crunchy flesh. I have got some summer apples, “mwashah”, that are tart but pleasurable to bite into.

I couldn’t help myself but to cut these fruits toss them with spices, yes you guessed, cinnamon and nutmeg, and throw them in the tastiest crunchy and flaky homemade pie crust. While searching for good pie crusts on Pinterest (follow my boards there while we’re at it) I found this recipe that felt fun and challenging.

Try this recipe. Your base is this delicious crust. Get creative with the filling. Make sure your fruits aren’t overly ripe. They’ll be mushy when cooked.

I made mom jealous. She insisted I gave her the recipe. She has been looking for one that gives a flaky and crunchy crust that isn’t deep-fried. I gave it to her.

I can’t not. She’s my mom. But I have to tell you, she tried making a pie, with only apples. I didn’t like it. It was too sweet with no contrasting flavor and she forgot to sprinkle the top of the pie with sugar to give it a nice rough texture.

This is starting to become a MOM vs. SON kitchen war. But I will surrender before it even starts. Mom is excellent at traditional recipes and I don’t think I can ever top that.

I made this pie another time but with peach, pear, plum and apple. The plums dyed the whole filling with a slightly dark delicious wine red color and a generous amount of juices that flowed out of the pie as I sliced it instantly out of the oven.

I know I shouldn’t have but I couldn’t resist.

Yes, I couldn’t resist but to slice it and call my sisters at 11 pm to have a slice with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I also made it in small oven-safe pots. They’re amazing for dividing portions and presenting.

Peach, Nectarine and Apple Pie

Ingredients

• 1 batch of this amazing pie crust (link)
• 1 egg
• 4 tbsp milk

• 1 large apple
• 2 peaches
• 2 nectarines
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon (add more to taste)
• 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg (don’t exceed that amount. It will give a sharp unpleasant taste)
• Juice of half a lemon

Procedure

• Heat the oven to 200 degrees.
• Get the dough out of the refrigerator and leave for a minute at room temperature
• Loosen the cling film and dust with little flour
• Dust the rolling-pin with flour and roll the dough so that it covers the bottom and sides of the pie pan

• Wash, dry and slice or cube the fruits. (peeling is optional)
• Toss the fruits with sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and lemon juice.
• Arrange them inside the prepared dough

• Roll the other half of the dough the same way
• Layer on top of the fruits and seal the sides by pinching or decorating them with a fork
• Make cuts across the top of the pie for the steam to escape
• Whisk egg with milk and brush the top of the pie and sprinkle with sugar. This will create a beautiful texture and color
• Place a baking sheet on the bottom of the hot oven. Place the pie on the hot sheet and bake at the middle rack. This allows the bottom to cook nicely.
• Bake on high for 15 minutes then lower the heat and continue baking for 30-40 minutes until it’s golden.
• Let it cool for 20 minutes for the juices to set before slicing if you prefer to eat it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream

The pie made a wonderful fruity dessert to next day’s Vegetables Chicken Curry lunch too.