Berry harvest is in, so let the pie making begin, columnist says

If you've been to a farmer's market of late, or even just the produce aisle of your local grocery store, you probably already know it's berry season.

Strawberries and blueberries are already coming in, and raspberries and blackberries will be coming in soon as well, and all that has On The Coast food columnist Gail Johnson thinking aobut one thing: pies.

"What is not to love about a fruit pie that's still warm from the oven, served up with a little whipped cream or vanilla ice cream?" she asked On The Coast guest host Gloria Macarenko. "I love the fact that it's one of those simple pleasures. We're not talking about molecular gastronomy or anything needlessly complicated."

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Johnson spoke to several Lower Mainland chefs about their secrets to great pies, and they all come down to one thing: butter.

Make sure the butter is cold, and you might even consider doing what Chef Michael Smith does: freeze the butter and use a cheese grater to grate it into the flour. Make sure to use ice-cold water as well.

If you consider yourself a pie-making expert already, Johnson says you might want to put your skills to the test in September's Great B.C. Bake-Off.

"You have the rest of the summer to fine-tune your pie for the contest," Johnson said. "You can get creative and come up with your own thing. I'm excited about it as I get to be one of the judges. So get busy and get baking!"

The Great B.C. Bake-Off takes place Sept.11 as part of BBQ off the Bypass in Langley.

With files from CBC Radio One's On The Coast