A Good Peach Pie

This is the time of year for fresh baked fruit pies.The trees are ripe with all sorts of harvests and what better than to put them in a pie.One of the best is a fresh peach.This makes a flavorful and tasty dessert, especially when served with a huge scoop of vanilla ice cream or freshly whipped cream. Melissa Clark created the recipe for a perfect one in this week's A Good Appetite in the Wednesday New York Times Dining section.Her peach pie is guaranteed seconds because she makes a slab pie instead of the traditional nine inch round one.It is much bigger than the average pie and is usually baked using a jelly roll pan.It's an excellent suggestion if you"re baking this pie for a party.Everyone can enjoy a second helping.Ms.Clark uses a baking dish for a deep dish pie.This means more peaches but you could also throw in nectarines,which she did or try berries, pears or plums.Another spin is the addition of tapioca to thicken the filling.Cornstarch can be added too instead as a thickener.Lemon juice is also used as is brown sugar subbing in for white. For extra flavoring there is the choice of vanilla extract or adding the bean. The crust is a simple one, nothing unusual there.The twist comes with the topping, a spin on classic streusel.Ms.Clark gives it zing with ground Ginger along with cinnamon.Instead of oatmeal for crunch ,she sticks with a simple crumb recipe composed of the spices, sugar and flour held together with unsalted butter.The crumble topping is a the right compliment for the smooth,surprisingly almost custardy filling.If you want more crunch or a certain nuttiness then add crushed almonds for a delicate flavor or walnuts for a more heartier one. The is good on it's own but you can also serve it with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream or even creme fraiche. There probably won't be leftovers but if there are any, the pie stores well in the fridge. This is the time for delicious home baked pie.Try a tasty peach one with a streusel crumble.It's the perfect way to enjoy the summer harvest of this fruit.Have it with a scoop of ice cream.