The first-known pie recipe dates back to Roman times and is for a rye-crusted goat cheese and honey pie.  Since then, the ancient practice of pie making has resulted in sweet and savory pies of all kinds with every sort of filling imaginable.  Fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, nuts, fish, custards, and chocolate are all ingredients that have been baked into pies.

The "animated pie," which was often served at banquets in the Middle Ages, was made so that birds and other small animals would come out of it when the crust was opened.  The well-known nursery rhyme Sing a Song of Sixpence refers specifically to this kind of pie.

In spite of the pie’s illustrious history, the ever-accelerating pace of our modern-day lifestyle has reduced the number of people who feel comfortable making a pie from scratch.  This is an unfortunate loss, as commercial store-bought pies are often heavily laden with preservatives, stabilizers, and artificial colors and flavors, while homemade pies (in which every ingredient is known and carefully chosen) are far healthier and more economical.  Making your own pies is a wonderful way to take advantage of local and seasonal harvests.  Even if you’re not up for making a pie in which "four and twenty blackbirds" will emerge singing, you can still impress your friends, family, and yourself by educating yourself about what is rapidly becoming the lost art of pie making.

The Elements of Pie: Crust

Crust, which is the foundation of all pie, is comprised of flour, some type of fat, and a dash each of salt and water.  Using the highest quality ingredients in your crust will automatically improve its flavor as well as its nutritional content.  Choose the least refined, organically grown flours you can find.  The less processed your organic baking flour is, the more protein and fiber it contains.  Flour options for your crust include wheat, white, spelt, rice, and quinoa, to name a few.  Each will give your crust a different consistency.  You might want to experiment with mixing different flours (such as white flour mixed with whole wheat flour) to see which yields the perfect texture while providing maximum nutrients.

Creating your own pie can be a satisfying endeavor, or you can find bakeries that offer a wealth of delicious pies made with high quality ingredients.  Whether you are baking or buying, don’t forget that the best pies start with the best ingredients.

Typical pie crust is made with shortening, lard, butter, or some combination of the three.  In spite of lard’s bad reputation as an artery clogger, recent research reveals that lard is lower in saturated fats than butter.  You can purchase lard from a sustainable farm, such as Flying Pigs Farm of New York, or your local butcher.  You can also buy fat from which you can render your own lard—Sustainable Table has detailed instructions.  Always check labels on grocery store lard to ensure it doesn't include hydrogenated oils, which are added to extend shelf life.

A delicious and flaky pie crust can also be made with clarified butter (ghee), which has less saturated fat than regular butter and is less processed than shortening.  Olive oil also produces great results, is unsaturated, and is easier to work with than other kinds of fat.

Using a food processor to make pie crust dough can speed up the process, but you can get a lot of satisfaction—as well as an upper body workout!—from making pie crust by hand.  Though making the perfect pie crust takes practice, it's not as difficult as you may think.  If you are still daunted by the prospect of making one, you can make your pie with a store-bought piecrust.  Look in the frozen section of your nearest health food or specialty market; a number of excellent, high quality, organic brands are now available.  For sweet pies you can also experiment with nut and graham cracker crusts, which are much easier to make than pastry crusts.  Peruse the wealth of recipes and tips online for ideas and inspiration.

Filling Your Pie

What you put in your pie is entirely up to you.  Keep in mind that whether you are making individual savory vegetable pies on a cold winter’s night, or a mixed fruit tart for a summer barbeque, the highest quality filling—local, sustainable, organic—will make the difference between a mediocre pie and a spectacular one.  Visit your local farmers' market and fill your pie with the foods that are in season:

• Use fresh berries or peaches in summer, whole pumpkin in the fall.  You can also take advantage of the abundance of organic frozen fruits and vegetables on the market.
• Luckily for chocolate lovers, dark organic chocolate never goes out of season. 
• For savory pies, use zucchini and tomatoes from your garden and then squirrel them away in your freezer to eat throughout the winter.  Make a sweet potato pie for Thanksgiving.
• For custard and cream pies, such as key lime pie, coconut cream pie, or lemon meringue pie, use organic and sustainably farmed dairy products.  For some, you may even try substituting tofu.

Of course there may be days when you want pie, but you have neither the time nor the inclination to make one.  Catering to the needs of overworked pie lovers is a plethora of specialty bakeries that seems to be growing larger by the minute.  There is likely to be at least one near you.  Look for those that specialize in handmade pies made with organic, seasonal ingredients.  Some niche bakeries have also sprouted up, offering harder to find gluten-free, organic baked goods and sugar-free gourmet desserts.

From crust to filler, you can guarantee taste, health, and a guilt-free conscience by seeking out pie components that are local, sustainable, organic, and seasonal.  Creating your own pie can be a satisfying endeavor, or you can find bakeries that offer a wealth of delicious pies made with high quality ingredients.  Whether you are baking or buying, don’t forget that the best pies start with the best ingredients.

Article Contributors: Julie Reid