My birthday falls in the middle of the summer, just after Independence Day, so all of my birthday memories are wrapped up in this wonderful haze of long, hot days filled with swimming and laughing and family and love. It’s  one of my favorite days of the year, not because of the presents but because of the time spent feeling enveloped in special expressions of love. It’s the perfect way to celebrate your life, to be surrounded by people who are really and truly thankful that you are alive.

Every year for as long as I can remember my grandmother, Bobbie, made me a blueberry mountain pie for our birthdays, which fell just seven days apart. The origins of mountain pie are a little unknown (though apparently my Aunt Jinx has the full story), but it is essentially a cobbler. It’s a simple recipe, but it brings out the best of all the ingredients and there is nothing better than a bowl full of hot pie topped with cold ice cream eaten on a warm summer night over looking the water.

In the years since she passed I’ve carried on the tradition, making myself a mountain pie every year for our birthdays. It’s a little ritual, sometimes the pie is just shared between Dan and I and sometimes my family and friends are with us to enjoy it. This time of year is magical, full of fireflies and tomato sandwiches and late night dips in the ocean. It’s a time to be with family, to enjoy the countless bounties of life, to appreciate how fortunate we are. The abundance of summer keeps me floating all year long, I spend long cold January nights imagining the exact flavor of a tart ripe blueberry.

So here’s to making the most of your summer, enjoying everything that it has to offer. The traditions, the new experiences, the food, the people. Load your basket full of blueberries at the farmer’s market and enjoy the best of what’s around.

Note: we are on vacation for the next few weeks, so I’ll be taking some time away from this space. Feel free to follow along over on Instagram / MissElenaeous. 

Blueberry Mountain Pie

1 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

3/4 cup whole milk

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups fresh blueberries

1 stick salted butter

Heat oven to 350F. Place the butter in a deep casserole dish and put in the oven to melt. Mix together all ingredients except the blueberries. Whisk together until fully combined.

When the butter is melted pour the batter into it. Do not mix. Pour the blueberries on top. Do not mix.

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes and then serve with vanilla ice cream.