Cats and cherry pie are today’s subject (and were yesterday’s activities); in one case, we’ve combined them. All of these photos are from Saturday.
Andrzej and I cracked about 400 g. of walnuts from their garden; the nuts were destined to be crushed and incorporated into the piecrust. Some of them were huge, and produced beautiful whole nutmeats. This one was so lovely that I had to eat it:
Malgorazata pits cherries; in the foreground you can see some of the walnuts we cracked:
Here’s a video showing the machine in action:
Pouring the cooked cherries into the walnut crust:
Fancifying the crust:
Malgorzata suggested that we use the leftover dough to make a cat for the pie. I immediately leapt on the idea and made a cat face:
Here is the finished and cooked pie with the cat face. Oy, was it good! The buttery walnut crust is a perfect complement to the slightly acidic cherries:
After lunch, a walk to the river with Cyrus (Hili decided to sleep in):
Here’s a panorama of the bluffs along the Vistula, a view of Andrzej’s and Malgorzata’s property, two local kids on bikes, and the d*g Cyrus:
A post-walk snack: fresh raspberries from the garden, washed down with a glass of fresh cherry juice (it accumulates in the pitting machine):
And of course the Princess was about to receive her due fusses. She slept atop me, but also slept on the big couch, assuming the supine feline position:
Of course there’s only one thing to do when a fluffy white cat belly is exposed:
And, finally, after several months, detente: Hili and Cyrus shared the couch for the same time. Malgorazata and Andrzej were elated: the very vision of Isaiah fulfilled in their living room!
The princess waits for her wet noms, which, as staff, I was assigned to give her:
Love the cat-faced pie.
Yay! It’s awards time – http://diaryofaninternetnobody.com/2014/07/26/very-inspiring-blogger-award-the-tenuous-ten/
This pie rated R. I was transfixed by the photos and even I thought I would like to make one.
I never realized the Vistula was such a wide river.
On Google I find Dobrzyń nad Wisłą, which is where the river looks like it is at its widest (a bit downstream from Plock). Maybe that’s where this is?
Notrh of Dobrzyn there is a massive dam constructd on Vistula at Wloclawek. This is the reson why the river is so wide practically up to the city of Plock. While the dam have made the river impressive and renderd it an important touristic spot for water sports enthusiasts, there are very vocal discussions about its environmental impact. Another issue is that a huge deposition of chemically contaminated mud accumulated over decades at the base of the dam and while this bult-up is growing year by year, it renders a threat to the construction stability.
Did you get the rest of the cherries harvested?
They had to stop on Friday and Saturday because of rain, and there is no harvesting today because God forbids it (remember, this is Catholic Poland). Harvesting should finish tomorrow, which gives us a chance to pick a few more bucketsful before the orchard is stripped bare.
Lovely post. I had first thought that splendid nutmeat was a very interesting fungus. The cat face is so good, esp the whiskers and the tongue sticking out. 🙂
Is the Phaistos disk used as a coaster?
That walnut crust looks really tasty! I think I should try growing walnuts in Ontario.
Looks like the flying spaghetti cat.
Touched by the Noodly Whisker!
That picture of the two of them zonked out on the same couch…won’t be long before the one us using the other for a pillow. When the chill sets in, if nothing else.
b&
I think I’m gaining weight just looking at the pictures of those delicious pies.
I’m almost tempted to find out if they still put whole (half) walnuts on a “Walnut Whip”. I can’t remember when I last had one – though I do remember that I used to give Mum the nut off the top, and I’d have the chocolate cone and fondant filling.
Wow, I haven’t had one of those in years! When you find some, send me one! 🙂
Or maybe we should develop a homemade version that has a cherry inside, right under the walnut…
You can have the walnut.
OTOH, I have a faint ringing bell over “Cherry whip”. Which is probably going to lead me into a google-driven “50 shades of Cherry” … surprisingly not – just lots of culinary options.
OTGH, http://www.cherrypye.com/ does sell 50-Shades themed material, including some kitchen hardware that is not for the kid’s birthday party.
I love Hili’s bicolored nose.
And the Kitteh Pie is very cute.