O.K., so I was born on a real honest-to-goodness farm.  Our commercial crop was poultry.  We also kept a cow, rabbits, and the occasional goat, pig or sheep; and we had an orchard.  Our orchard produced a plethora of fresh fruit and nuts, much of which found its way into pies.  We moved from the farm when I was nine.  I’ve pretty much lived in an urban, if not always urbane, environment ever since.  Nonetheless, from late summer through the end of autumn, my heart turns to the harvest and for me, harvest time meant pie time; fresh fruit pies, sticky, gooey nut pies and custard pies with golden-brown tops, the color of poplar leaves just before they drop.

This time of year my mother’s kitchen, in fact the whole house, would be filled with the sensuous and enticing aroma of pies; deep, rich, fragrant pies.  That heady aroma drifted from the house and out across the lake, calling to my dad and me if we were swimming or in the rowboat hunting for duck eggs.  

All pies are good, but to me there is something special about the pies of harvest time. Sure, chocolate cream pies and grasshopper pies are nice and lemon meringue pies are to die for but leave them for a time of year when the harvest is over and there are no peaches, berries, apricots, pumpkins, quince or walnuts.

The following is a collection of my families’ favorite harvest time pies.  I suggest you use whatever pastry you are most comfortable with, but if you have trouble with your piecrust, then I strongly urge you to give Bea’s_Perfect_Pastry a try.   This is absolutely the most forgiving pastry I have ever used.  Whether you choose to use margarine, butter, shortening, lard or a combination thereof, it makes a superior piecrust.  Also, take a peek at Perfect Pies Every Time, before you begin.  It may help you avoid some typical pit falls.  And, if you are new to pie making, I suggest you take a peek at, Let There Be Pie, which is a bit of a primer on pie making.

                                 Rustic Apple Pie with Cheddar Crust             

                                  Fig Pie                                   Quince Pie

                              Bea’s Apple Pie                    Sweet Potato Pie

      Custard Applesauce Pie                                  Classic Pumpkin Pie

                       Winter Squash Pie                        Blackberry Pie

           Pecan or Walnut Pie                                  Old Fashion Custard

                                        Pumpkin Pie (streusel topped)