Lemon Slice Pie

I had a lot of citrus in my fridge - around 8 lemons, 12 key limes, and 10 regular limes. Why so much citrus? I habitually buy limes because my husband cooks Thai food. And my mother-in-law habitually shops at Costco for 'deals'; and since she is on her own we end up with the extras.

Whenever I am in a situation where things are starting eek past their prime in the fridge, I find it a personal challenge to find some new wacko way to use them.

So, today I made Lemon Slice Pie (or Fresh Lemon Pie). The recipe is from James Beard's "American Cookery," published in 1972. Said mother-in-law has also provided for a bounty of eclectic cookbooks. I particularly like this one, because the deserts (all I really ever look at) provide a picture of American Life in the past century.

Enough rambling, more pie. Here is the recipe:

• 1 cup of this slices of unpeeled lemon, or put whole unpeeled lemons throughout the coarse blade of a food processor
• 1 1/2 c of water
• 2 c sugar or 1 cup sugar and molasses
• 3 egg yolks
• 7 T flour
• 1/4 t salt
• 2 T butter
• Baked pastry shell or crumb crust for 9 inch pie

Mr. Beard provides a lot of interesting background which I won't go into, and options for making this pie. Basically you simmer the lemons, which I sliced in the food processor in circles, in the water for 10 minutes. Then you add 1 cup of the sugar and keep simmering until the rinds become soft. While this is going on you mix all the other ingredients except the butter. I chose to use Sorghum because I had it, and only a cup of it in place of the molasses.

Then you add some of the hot lemon mixture to the egg mixture and then add it all back into the lemon mixture. Then Mr. Beard says stir it over low heat until clear, and not too long. Well mine never became clear, perhaps because of the sorghum. But once it was thickened quite a bit I turned it off.

Then you add the butter and pour it into the crust. I had made a crust earlier. I don't believe in store bought crusts, there always greasy and why not just make that too. Its not that hard. That being said, it wasn't one of my best crusts. Mr. Beard then says you can either top it with meringue made with three eggs or whipped cream.

I took the pie over to my friends and finished it off with whipped cream (with some sugar). It is a very tart pie, and not too sweet. My friend said it was an adult pie. I agree. It was tasty, but I am not too sure I am so fond of the big pieces of rind throughout.

We were having a mom / baby night with the kids. We dug into the pie and discussed how our dads were jerks, our ridiculously bad educational system, men's faults in general, and just generally caught up. Sliced lemon pie was a perfect accompaniment.

(the pic is a pieced I salvaged and brought home)