Les tartes de Simonne

Berries pie (ready to bake)

Born in 1914, the same year that Canada entered the First World War, Simonne grew up at the end of Saguenay−Lac-Saint-Jean’s settlement period. At the age of 14, she started working as a maid for a doctor and got married at 20 to a farmer’s son, who became a merchant in her village. She had her first son in 1935 and was the mother of 9 children. The house was always busy with family, friends, employees, and trappers passing by to stock up at her husband’s store. The dinner tables were always full and when it came time for dessert, Simonne’s pies were always eagerly anticipated. With summer came pies made with seasonal fruits (strawberries, rhubarb, raspberries, blueberries, etc.) that the children picked, eating almost as many as they put in their baskets! The pies were baked in a wood-fired oven in the summer kitchen attached to the house, which gave them a unique taste. Simonne has been inspiring her family’s dinner tables for generations, and today she is the inspiration behind the pie that you are about to taste. At the end of summer, when all the fruits are in season, Simonne makes her traditional three-fruit pie. She prepares a perfect blend of blueberries, strawberries and raspberries. THE BLUEBERRY, an emblematic wild fruit from the Lac-Saint-Jean region, is enough to make its fellow fruits jealous. First Nations peoples were already consuming it before Europeans arrived in America, but it was the settlers of Lac-Saint-Jean who began to cultivate it. Rich in antioxidants and vitamins, this little blue berry is a superfood. THE STRAWBERRY, plump and succulent, has been known since Roman times for its medicinal uses. Full of flavor, it delights our taste buds. It is a source of vitamin C and potassium. The strawberry is a fruit with heart and strength. THE RASPBERRY is bursting with love and with vitamins C, K, and E. It provides folic acid, potassium and iron. The tiny seeds inside, which crunch under your teeth, offer insoluble fibers that are great for digestion. The raspberry is one of the SUPER fruits.