Old Fashioned Peach Pie

I had the blessing of picking up some delicious peaches at our local farm stand the other day. I say blessing because I don't take this for granted. We're always very thankful for the abundant supply of fresh fruit available in our area. This week seems to be peak time for those wonderfully sweet Red Haven peaches. They're perfect for pies! This is peach pie at its finest-pure and simple, and not too sweet.

pastry for one 9-inch double crust pie

1 egg, beaten
5 cups sliced, peeled peaches
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line the bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate with half of your pie pastry. Brush with some of the beaten egg to prevent dough from becoming soggy. Place the sliced peaches in a large bowl and sprinkle with lemon juice. Mix gently. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Pour over the peaches and gently stir together. Pour into the prepared pie shell and dot with butter. Cover with top pie crust and fold the edges under. Flute or press the edges to seal, using a fork dipped in the egg. Brush the remaining egg over the top crust. Make several 1/2-inch slits in the top of crust to vent steam. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes, until the crust is brown and the juice begins to bubble through the vents. If the edges brown too fast, cover edges with strips of aluminum foil halfway through baking. Cool before serving. Great with vanilla bean ice cream!