1 Pie crust (9″ 2-crust)
3 tb Quick-cooking tapioca
1/2 c Granulated sugar
1/2 c Brown sugar
3/4 ts Almond extract
1/2 ts Nutmeg; grated
Dash of salt
2 1/2 c Ground cherries; husked
2 tb Butter
“Ground cherries grow wild on low bushy plants along uncut country
roadsides and in uncultivated fields. They are especially prolific in
the Mississippi Valley. The fruit goes by several regional names: husk
tomatoes, chew cherries, strawberry tomatoes, or winter cherries. The
ground cherry plant is the first cousin to the ornamental Japanese
lantern, which it resembles. The firm fruit, which is nestled in a
husk, is about the size of a cherry and looks like a green tomato,
though the color varies from green to yellow to red. To me, it also
resembles a tiny Mexican tomatilla. Its flavor has been likened to
tomatoes and strawberries, and the fruit is most commonly used in
pie, though I have also eaten it in chili sauce and jam. I see ground
cherries occasionally at farmer’s markets around the country.”
Line a 9-inch pie pan with pastry and set aside. Preheat the oven to
400 degrees F.
In a medium bowl, combine the tapioca, sugars, almond extract,
nutmeg, and salt. Sprinkle half the mixture in the bottom of the
pastry shell and top with the cherries. Sprinkle the remainder of the
sugar mixture over the cherries and dot with the butter. Top with a
lattice design or other decorative top crust.
Bake for 10 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 degrees F and bake
about 45 to 50 minutes longer, or until the crust is deep golden and
the juices in the pie are bubbling up in the center. Cool before
cutting.
Yields
6 Servings