Mr. Food: Blueberry Pie August 10

What could sound better than a slice of homemade blueberry pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream? Now, that's summer! Well, today I'm going to share the secret ingredient to one of my favorite blueberry pies, and is it ever easy! The trick is using tapioca, which is the starch made as a result of processing the root of the tropical cassava plant. It looks like little pearls and it's used a lot as a thickener. It's probably best known for the role it plays in tapioca pudding! But watch how it'll earn us a blue ribbon! In a bowl, we combine fresh or thawed, frozen blueberries with some instant tapioca, sugar, lemon juice and lemon zest. Give it a good mix, and let it sit to thicken up. Now, after spooning it into our pie dough, either homemade or store-bought is fine, we top it with a second piece of pie dough like this, pinching the edges to seal them. Oh, don't forget! Before baking it off, cut a couple of slits in the top crust; that'll let the steam escape so the crust doesn't get soggy. Sprinkle on a bit of sugar and, when the crust bakes up golden brown and the blueberry filling inside is bubbling, it's done perfectly! Let it cool and see! As they say: easy as pie! When we serve slices of this one just as it is or, better yet, with a scoop of ice cream - wow! The recipe for my "Blue Ribbon Blueberry Pie" is online now, just waiting for you to show off to your gang. And wait 'til you hear the reaction. You know it's going to be "OOH IT'S SO GOOD!! "