Thirsty Thursday: A Pie Full of Love

You are probably thinking, why is she writing about pie on this fine Thursday? And even more importantly, why is she mentioning love? Well, I am not talking about romantic love, but rather the care and compassion one feels for a fellow human being. In a yoga class you might hear the word Namaste, which is a Hindi greeting with many different translations. It essentially acknowledges the spark in another person, where truth and love reside, and then recognizes this same spark in yourself. The light in me sees the light in you.

It's also Pi Day! Yes, you read correctly. Not pie, but Pi, like 3.14, like March 14. Ok you get it. So, in celebration of Pi Day, I made a blueberry pie for work and then brought in mini gluten-free mixed berry rhubarb pies for two of my favorite yoginis (one of whom took the photo)! Giving to others, who you care for, without any expectations of return, is I think one of the greatest joys one can experience. It definitely brightened my morning.

Finally, before I let you get to the pie recipe, I wanted to raise a topic related to both expectations and love. In the Yoga Sutras, one of the main teachings is this notion of non-attachment. In its simplest understanding, this means letting go. Not detachment, and not avoiding connections with someone or something. But rather building an awareness of your attachments and gradually ceasing to be beholden by them. You might have a thirst (ok, it's a stretch for a Thursday), and unquenchable desire for some entity or objective, but relying solely on reaching that end state will not necessarily lead to happiness nor wisdom. For me, having experienced considerable disappointment in the past few weeks, practicing non-attachment has been important in recognizing that my self-worth is not tied up in the achievement of a certain outcome. I think this also comes back to love and the idea that no matter what each of us has spirit and beauty inside. That's enough sappiness. Let's eat!

Very Berry Rhubarb Pie (gf, makes 3 small)

Crust

1/2 cup millet flour

1/2 cup brown rice flour

1/4 cup buckwheat flour

1 tbs tapioca starch

3 tbs agave (can use sugar or a pinch powdered stevia instead)

1 tsp salt

1 tbs oil

2 tbs coconut oil

2-3 tbs cold water

Filling

1 cup mixed berries

1/2 cup rhubarb, diced

1 tbs arrowroot

1/4 cup agave (or sugar)

1. Combine flours, salt, sugar, and coconut oil with a fork until the fat coats all flour. Add in vegetable oil, and then water one tablespoon at a time until you can form a ball of dough. 

2. Break into three pieces. Sprinkle more rice or millet flour on a wax piece of paper and roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thick. Place into a small tart pan. You can also just press the dough into the pan. Repeat for other two pies

3. Mix all filling ingredients together and then divide between the three crusts.

4. Bake at 350F for about 25 minutes. Allow to cool completely, because gluten-free crusts tend to crumble otherwise. Enjoy!

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