Half Moon Bay: Muth's Apple Pie
Bob and the nurses had the day off, so we (Bob and I, that is...the nurses stayed home) drove North along Hwy 1 to Half Moon Bay. If there is a more beautiful drive along the California coast than this scenic route on the Pacific Coast Highway, I've not seen it: mountain-like hills, wind-swept trees, leek, artichoke and brussel sprout fields, the Pigeon Point Lighthouse, picturesque wineries, and crashing waves—all within a 30 minute drive.
Leek fields along side of the ocean
Pigeon Point lighthouse
We had no particular goal in mind—just a Sunday drive. Garmin led us into the small town of Half Moon Bay, down Main Street with a positive mix of stores offering essential goods and tourist gimmicks We were in the market for neither, had a supply of bars for lunch, and didn't need to use the facilities so we coasted through town and back onto the highway.
On the way into town we noticed a huge, castle-like facility perched on a cliff right above those crashing waves. I put the smart phone to work and found that the Ritz Carlton has a secluded luxury outpost right outside of Half Moon Bay complete with two championship golf courses, a basketball court, three restaurants, a "technology butler for computer needs", twice-daily maid service, and much, much, more at the staggering rate of $499 per night (low- end room, that is).
Not too far from the Ritz we saw a small sign that read, "Pie Ranch, Ahead". Pie always gets our attention. Bob made a swift turn to the left, parked in front of a rustic group of small barns, and we walked up the stairs to a locavore's vision of a farm-to-table scene: Pie Ranch- grown vegetables, blueberry honey, organic, happy-hen, eggs, and best of all...pie. We chose a little walnut pielette for two—similar to pecan pie but a little less rich.
Just to make the pie-picture perfect, a lovely young woman (with that rosey-eyed, starry-cheeked look of someone who loves what she's doing) told us all about Pie Ranch, the involvement with at-risk youth, and the long-term commitment to enabling everyone to eat "artisan" food products.
The Pie Ranch girls (picture courtesy of pieranch.org)
Leek fields along side of the ocean
Pigeon Point lighthouse
We had no particular goal in mind—just a Sunday drive. Garmin led us into the small town of Half Moon Bay, down Main Street with a positive mix of stores offering essential goods and tourist gimmicks We were in the market for neither, had a supply of bars for lunch, and didn't need to use the facilities so we coasted through town and back onto the highway.
On the way into town we noticed a huge, castle-like facility perched on a cliff right above those crashing waves. I put the smart phone to work and found that the Ritz Carlton has a secluded luxury outpost right outside of Half Moon Bay complete with two championship golf courses, a basketball court, three restaurants, a "technology butler for computer needs", twice-daily maid service, and much, much, more at the staggering rate of $499 per night (low- end room, that is).
Not too far from the Ritz we saw a small sign that read, "Pie Ranch, Ahead". Pie always gets our attention. Bob made a swift turn to the left, parked in front of a rustic group of small barns, and we walked up the stairs to a locavore's vision of a farm-to-table scene: Pie Ranch- grown vegetables, blueberry honey, organic, happy-hen, eggs, and best of all...pie. We chose a little walnut pielette for two—similar to pecan pie but a little less rich.
Just to make the pie-picture perfect, a lovely young woman (with that rosey-eyed, starry-cheeked look of someone who loves what she's doing) told us all about Pie Ranch, the involvement with at-risk youth, and the long-term commitment to enabling everyone to eat "artisan" food products.
The Pie Ranch girls (picture courtesy of pieranch.org)
This is how my Mom made apple pie.
Muth's Apple Pie
Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Crisco or lard
4-6 tablespoons cold water
Measure flour and salt into bowl. Cut in shortening with fork. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until flour is moistened and dough almost cleans the side of the bowl. Gather dough into a ball; shape into flattened round on slightly floured board. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
With floured rolling pin and floured surface, roll dough into a circle 2" larger than pie pan.
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups peeled, thinly sliced tart apples—Granny Smith, Yellow Delicious, Honey Crisp
Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup firm butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt; mix with sliced apples. Turn into pastry-lined pie pan.
Mix ingredients for topping until crumbly; spread over apples. Bake 50 minutes. Cover topping with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking if top browns too quickly.
Muth's Apple Pie
Crust:
1 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Crisco or lard
4-6 tablespoons cold water
Measure flour and salt into bowl. Cut in shortening with fork. Sprinkle in water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing until flour is moistened and dough almost cleans the side of the bowl. Gather dough into a ball; shape into flattened round on slightly floured board. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for one hour.
With floured rolling pin and floured surface, roll dough into a circle 2" larger than pie pan.
Filling:
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups peeled, thinly sliced tart apples—Granny Smith, Yellow Delicious, Honey Crisp
Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup firm butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
Heat oven to 425 degrees. Prepare pastry. Stir together sugar, flour, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt; mix with sliced apples. Turn into pastry-lined pie pan.
Mix ingredients for topping until crumbly; spread over apples. Bake 50 minutes. Cover topping with aluminum foil for the last 15 minutes of baking if top browns too quickly.
Posted by Marla Nichols at 11/17/2011 11:40 AM 
Categories: Dessert, Travel, American
Tags: Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton Pie Ranch Pacific Coast Highway locavore apple pie Pigeon Point lighthouse
Categories: Dessert, Travel, American
Tags: Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton Pie Ranch Pacific Coast Highway locavore apple pie Pigeon Point lighthouse
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