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Pie. if you’ve been around here much in the last few months, you know that I make pie. A lot of pie. And I’m particularly excited to share this pie with you today because it helped me break out of a rut. A pie rut. A baking rut. A Marge inspiration rut.
You see, there’s only so many apple pies one baker can make. When you tire of apple, you start to get really creative with pear. Pear Streusel. Pear Ginger, Apple Pear (whoa!), Pear Cranberry (whee!). Yes, so let’s just say that when a large brunt of your business is seasonal pies, winter can be a tough season. And spring’s sneaky 80-degree days and lingering, lingering light? The most welcome sight ever.
At the kitchen where I bake, we’ve been rolling up the delivery doors and letting the sun shine in. There are railroad tracks right across the parking lot, so there’s a breeze, the sound of the occasional train, mixers beating away, ovens opening and closing. It’s an afternoon in a bakery. And it’s all the sweeter when my station is filled with new juicy fruit that is just waiting to be folded into a pie and carted off to the farmers market.
But it’s not just the lack of colorful fruit that has had me in a bit of a Marge rut lately. The reality is that I haven’t checked in for awhile. With my vision for the business. As a small business owner, it’s really easy to get caught up in the routine of it all: the weekly errands, the bills and invoices, the cost analysis and bookkeeping and making the same recipe over and over and over. It’s easy not to step back from it all and think about what still excites you, why you’re still cutting 20 pounds of butter into flour on Friday nights. By hand. When you could be having co*cktails on a patio if you really wanted to. Or at the very least testing a new recipe that excited you. There’s simply just not enough time–for weekend co*cktails or new recipes, for that matter.
I just started reading this book by the co-founder of Ann Arbor-based bakery and restaurant, Zingerman’s, called Building a Great Business. Can I just say that I never, ever read business books? I usually find them dry and prescriptive and they generally make me anxious rather than excited. But this one’s different. In addition to the typical Business Plan/Recipe for Success bit that generally makes an appearance in books like this, Ari Weinzweig writes about the importance of Crafting a Vision of Greatness. He discusses how this differs greatly from a mission statement in that it’s more specific and is really a full-scale picture of what things will look like when you’ve arrived at where you’re going and things are working well.
Weinzweig states that it’s so important because it’s a statement of optimism in the future and you’ve got to have this with your business. It also allows you to create your reality instead of just reacting to problems. He stresses documenting it. Write down your vision. Heck, if you don’t know what it is, no one else is going to. Come to terms with it and be accountable for it, and the chances that things will begin moving in a forward fashion are much, much greater.
So over the next two weeks I’m going to come up with my vision of greatness. I’m really going to sit back and think about what excited me about Marge, what I want for the business in the next 1 year, 5 years, even 10 years. Who am I doing it for? Why? What exactly am I trying to do or accomplish? Because really, the answer to these questions is more than making the same exact number of pie slices each week and going to stand at the farmer’s market on a cold Sunday morning in May. There’s a deeper connection to the food I’m making and the reason I’m drawn to old-fashioned recipes and small-scale, artisan food production. So it’s time to revisit that and to get excited again.
A last point that Weinzweig makes is that, regardless of what business you’re in or what personal goal you’re pursuing at the moment, it takes a lot longer to make something great than most people think. So many of us put such high expectations on ourselves for things to fall into place in a short period of time (I’m guilty of this, too). Some of it has to do with our fast-paced culture and increasingly short-attention spans, but some of it also has to do with limited knowledge on the importance of staying power in most creative pursuits. There’s something to be said about just showing up. Sure, I need to sit down and document what I envision for the future of Marge. But I also need to just continue to go through the motions at the same time. Make pie after pie. Because that balance is important. And, frankly, that’s what I do.
Now I can’t guarantee that this pie will help you slide out of any creative rut you may find yourself in lately, but it will certainly help. That I know for sure.
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
- Yield: One 9 inch pie
I do like to use quick-cooking tapioca for many juicier fruit pies, but if you have trouble finding it, feel free to use cornstarch instead. And let the bubbling juices be your guide as to when the pie is truly done; some pies may take just a few minutes longer than others.
Ingredients
Crust:
Martha Stewart's Pate Brisee
(or your favorite pie dough recipe)
Filling:
3 cups trimmed rhubarb (1 1/2 pounds untrimmed), cut in 1/2-inch thick slices
3 cups hulled and halved strawberries
1/4 cup golden brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup quick-cooking tapioca
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon orange zest, optional
1 large egg, beaten (for glaze)
Instructions
Prepare your pie: Roll out 2 dough disks to 12-inch round; transfer one right into a 9-inch pie pan and trim any excess overhang (leave 1/2-inch overhang), leave the second one out as it will top the pie once filled.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Combine first seven ingredients (along with the optional orange zest) in a large bowl and gently toss to combine. Spoon filling into bottom crust. Scatter little pats of butter on top of the filling and place the second disk of dough on top of the pie. Fold edges under and crimp as desired. Brush with egg mixture and cut a few slits in the top of the pie to allow steam to escape.
Bake 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake pie until the top is golden and the fruit filling starts to bubble, about another 25 minutes. Transfer pie to rack and cool completely.
Maria
Perfect for spring!
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kickpleat
It took me 6 years into running my own business before I read my first business book. It was the book "The Boss of You" and it's for women running their own businesses - it's the opposite of dry and it really helped me to focus and think ahead. I'm going to read it again because I could use a refresh. But onto the pie. Pie!! Looks amazing and those strawberries look so ripe and red. I can't wait for local strawberries...soon. Pie...soon.
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Ashley
Thanks for sharing your lessons learned through that book. I too expect greatness before I've really had a chance to learn, stretch and savor the journey - which really is the best part.
I'm so impressed by your business and all you do.Reply
Anne Zimmerman
About the staying power: I was at a writers lunch yesterday feeling all proud of myself {Finally! I can say I have a book!} But as we went around the table introducing ourselves, everyone else had 2 books. Or had just gotten back from war reporting in Kabul. Or was writing the Next Great Memoir, going to famous writing workshops, etc. A gentle reminder that I'm actually at the beginning, and staying in the game takes mettle. Le sigh.
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Anna
Megan - Thanks for the reminder. I think it can definitely be hard to go from the following your dream to making your dream a reality to all the work that reality takes. I definitely think it is important to find a balance between the romantic and dreamy ideas, the day to day work and the vision of greatness you wish to achieve. I am not sure what my vision is for my tiny business or if I want to switch gears entirely, but I appreciate your thoughts on this!
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Kasey
Inspiring, Megan! I'm often one to try to run a marathon before a 5k but I think that old saying is one I always come back to, "slow and steady...wins the race." I love rhubarb...yum! Sorry I missed you at dinner this week- hopefully soon! xo
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Molly
With gorgeous and creative pies like that, I know you'll have a wonderful sense of what you want in two weeks from now. I wish you the best of luck in your journey.
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Katie
I've never seen a crust so flaky! That pie is a thing of beauty!
I may need to check out that book. I've achieved a goal or dream from long ago, and these days I'm far from inspired when I wake up in the morning. More like, I wish I could pull the covers over my head and go back to sleep. Definitely time for a rethink and possible change in direction. Thanks for the reminder to take the time to do that!
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Kristina
YOU are a vision of greatness sweetness! You are made of kickass and awesome sauce and I miss you.
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Denise | Chez Danisse
"What exactly am I trying to do or accomplish?" Yes yes. A good exercise. I also like "...it takes a lot longer to make something great than most people think." Good stuff, Megan. Thank you.
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Amanda@Easy Peasy Organic
Love it. We all need a vision of greatness ... no matter what our business is (or isn't)!
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Tracy
Is this what the tapioca was for? :)
Sounds like I could use this book! Right now I'm going through the motions...and that's good but you are right. It's important to take a step back and really figure out what you are doing this for. Good luck this weekend!!
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Danielle
A lesson I've learnt (from all the inspiring food producers I've met this year), is that in order to do what you love, you also have to deal with what you're not exactly fond of, but what is necessary. It's two sides of the same coin. The key is in finding a balance, and taking time out to dream and peep into the future is great therapy for the monotony of everyday business stuff. Can't wait to hear about your dream, and - again - yay for rhubarb! xo
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Kim K Meredith
Local strawberry time is fast approaching here in Lancaster PA and the rhubarb is already being cut. I only hope that I can get these two together for what looks like an amazing pie!!! Thanks!
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Staci Shultz
Megan, this pie looks *gorgeous*, and you've definitely convinced me of the aesthetics of rhubarb, if not the taste. ;) And can I tell you how pleased I am you're reading Ari's book? I miss Zingerman's so much, and I tell everyone I can about that fabulous business. Ari is so kind and so generous, and I'm delighted that he's sharing his wisdom with you. :)
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Dana
My husband has a bookshelf full of business books and I'm just starting to realize there may be some things in there I could use...
I think your big picture question is really important and timely for me, so thank you for putting it so beautifully as usual. And the pie! If I didn't know better, I would think that was puff pastry. So flaky and perfect!
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El
Would you believe I've actually read the Zingerman's book? It's surprisingly good. It will be interesting to hear about your vision. In the meantime, the pies are a vision unto themselves. The strawberry pie looks fabulous.
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cory
wow - your crust looks near perfect! in the side shot where it is baked i can almost taste all of those perfect flakey layers! this looks amazing. i have been making pie dough in my food processor but always feel that i forfeit just a bit of the flakiness, even if i am very judicious with the number of times i pulse it together. well done...strawberries are just now at our NYC farmers markets and they are a welcome red blip on an otherwise very green radar!!
:)
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Allison
This pie looks so stunning. I know what you mean about getting into ruts. It sounds like you're getting out of yours though!
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Evi
We made a rhubarb-blueberry, delicious! Check it out on our site. Good luck with everything, can't wait to hear the updates! =)
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Adriana
super inspiring post! i also need to step back and rethink about why I'm doing what I'm doing (a PhD), because I'm drained, out of energy... maybe making this pie would help! looks so delicious and it's perfect for the season!
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amanda@seegirlcook
yum! this looks so delicious. i especially love the idea of the smaller pies...so cute!
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Mary
Beautiful post, Megan - love your writing. I met Ari at 18 Reasons. He is really amazing because he is a businessman but doesn't sound like one. Thanks for the link. Looking forward to reading more. Btw: your post also reminds me I need to visit your stand and buy some more pie.
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megang
Yes Mary, that's the perfect way to describe him: he's very non-businessy, which I like. Someday I aspire to be as involved in city events as you! Seriously...
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