PIEEE

# 3/4 cup whole-wheat pastry flour (see Ingredient note)
# 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
# 2 tablespoons sugar, plus 1 teaspoon for sprinkling
# 1/4 teaspoon salt
# 4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick), cut into small pieces
# 1 tablespoon canola oil
# 1/4 cup ice water, plus more as needed
# 1 large egg, separated (see Tip; save the white to glaze the pastry)
# 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar
# 1/4 cup slivered almonds (1 ounce)
# 1/4 cup whole-wheat flour (regular or pastry flour)
# 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons sugar or Splenda Granular
# 4 cups mixed berries, such as blackberries, raspberries and blueberries
# 2 teaspoons lemon juice
# 1 tablespoon water
# 2 tablespoons raspberry, blueberry or blackberry jam

1. To prepare crust: Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, 2 tablespoons sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter with a pastry blender or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with a few larger pieces. Add oil and stir with a fork to blend. Mix 1/4 cup water, egg yolk and 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or vinegar) in a measuring cup. Add just enough of the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture, stirring with a fork, until the dough clumps together. (Add a little water if the dough seems too dry.) Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead several times. Form the dough into a ball, then flatten into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

2. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or foil and coat with cooking spray.

3. To prepare filling & assemble tart: Spread almonds in a small baking pan. Bake until light golden and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Let cool. Combine whole-wheat flour, 1/4 cup sugar (or Splenda) and the toasted almonds in a food processor or blender; process until the almonds are ground.

4. Roll the dough into a rough 13- to 14-inch circle on a lightly floured surface, about 1/4 inch thick. Roll it back over the rolling pin, brush off excess flour, and transfer to the prepared baking sheet. Spread the almond mixture over the pastry, leaving a 2-inch border all around. Toss berries with the remaining 3 tablespoons sugar (or Splenda) and 2 teaspoons lemon juice in a large bowl; spoon over the almond mixture. Fold the border up and over the filling, pleating as necessary. Blend the reserved egg white and 1 tablespoon water with a fork; brush lightly over the tart rim. Sprinkle with the remaining 1 teaspoon sugar.

5. Bake the tart for 15 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350°F and bake until the crust is golden and the juices are bubbling, 30 to 40 minutes. Leaving the tart on the parchment (or foil), carefully slide it onto a wire rack. Let cool.

6. Shortly before serving, melt jam in a small saucepan over low heat; brush over the berries. Cut the tart into wedges.

Ingredient Note: Whole-wheat pastry flour is milled from soft wheat. It contains less gluten than regular whole-wheat flour and helps ensure a tender result in delicate baked goods while providing the nutritional benefits of whole grains. Available in large supermarkets and in natural-foods stores. Store in the freezer.

Tip: To separate eggs safely: Use an egg separator, an inexpensive gadget found in cookware stores; separating eggs by passing the yolk back and forth between pieces of eggshell or your hands can expose the eggs to bacteria.

DELICIOUS!

# 1 onion, finely diced
# 2 garlic cloves, minced
# 2 bay leaves
# 2 red bell peppers, cored, seeded and finely diced
# 2 tomatoes, halved, seeded and finely diced
# 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
# 1 (12-ounce) bottle ketchup
# 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
# kosher salst and freshly ground black pepper
# extra-virgin olive oil
# 1 pound ground beef
# 1 pound ground pork
# 3 eggs
# leaves from 2 fresh thyme sprigs
# 3 slices white bread, crusts removed and torn into pieces
# 1/2 cup whole milk
# sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Coat a skillet with a 2-count of oil and place over medium heat. Saute the onion, garlic and bay leaves for a few minutes to a base flavor. Throw in the red peppers and cook them for a couple of minutes to soften. Now add the tomatoes; adding them at this point lets them hold their shape and prevents them from disintegrating. Stir in the parsley, ketchup and Worcestershire; season with salt and pepper. Simmer the relish for 10 minutes to pull all the flavors together. Remove it from the heat; you should have about 4 cups of relish.

In a large mixing bowl soak the bread pieces in the whole milk. Set aside. In a separate large mixing bowl, combine the ground beef with the ground pork and mix well. Squeeze out the milk from the bread and add the bread to mixing bowl. Add the eggs, 1 cup of the tomato relish, and thyme; season with salt and pepper. Mix well with hands. To test, fry a small “hamburger” patty of the meatloaf until cooked; the patty should hold together but still have a soft consistency. Taste the patty for seasoning.

Take a small baking tray and line with parchment paper. Form the meat into a loaf shape on the tray and top with another 1/2 cup of the tomato relish.

Bake the meatloaf for 1 to 1 1/2 hours until the juices run clear and meat is tender — it should spring back lightly when pressed. Remove the meatloaf from the oven and let it cool a bit before slicing. Serve with the remaining tomato relish on the side.