Custard Pie -- The Kind of Recipe You Keep for the People You're Keeping Track Of

Haying started this week. The lower alfalfa field, same as every year, the swather going in the early morning while the dew is off and the day is long. I'm completely at home on the swather now — it's the piece of equipment I know best, the one I spent the most mornings learning. Dad doesn't come out to the field for haying much anymore. He checks from the fence in the evening, watches the bale count, says whether the rows look right. That's his version of participating and it's enough. He's not absent from the work. He's in a different position in it than he used to be.

Cole's baby is due in October. Emma is doing well by his report. He came by Thursday with two bushels of apricots from the farmer's market that he'd bought because he thought I might want them. He was right. I made a batch of apricot jam Thursday evening — simple, hot-processed, into jars while the kitchen was warm and the smell of stone fruit was everywhere. He left before I finished but I set three jars aside for him and Emma. New parents need jam.

Tom Whelan was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation this week. Not a new diagnosis necessarily — his cardiologist thinks he may have had it for some time and it was caught incidentally on an EKG at his spring checkup. He's on a blood thinner now and a rhythm medication. He's matter-of-fact about it, which is his mode for medical news. He said: The horse has four new shoes and now needs a bit of work on the bridle. That's Tom's way of saying everything is manageable and he'd prefer not to discuss it further.

The apricot jam was Thursday’s project, but by the weekend I wanted something a little more substantial to round out what I’d set aside for Cole and Emma — something that said you’re going to be fine in the way that food says it better than words can. Custard pie is the kind of recipe that asks almost nothing of you and gives back something warm and steady, which felt right for the moment. Tom’s news was sitting with me too, and when I’m carrying something I can’t fix, I tend to bake things that are quiet and plain and don’t require much deciding.

Custard Pie

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 45 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
• 4 large eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups whole milk, warmed

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven. Heat your oven to 400°F. Place the unbaked pie shell in a 9-inch pie plate and crimp the edges.
2. Mix the custard. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla until smooth and well combined. Do not overbeat — you want the mixture blended, not foamy.
3. Add the milk. Slowly pour the warmed milk into the egg mixture, whisking gently as you go. Warming the milk first helps the custard set evenly and reduces baking time.
4. Fill the shell. Pour the custard mixture carefully into the unbaked pie shell. Sprinkle the ground nutmeg evenly over the top.
5. Bake. Place the pie on the center rack and bake at 400°F for 25 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350°F and bake for an additional 15–20 minutes, until the custard is just set at the edges and has a slight wobble in the center.
6. Cool completely. Remove from the oven and let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 1 hour before slicing. The custard will continue to set as it cools. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 210 | Protein: 6g | Fat: 9g | Carbs: 27g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 180mg