"Sally, go watch TV."

When I was watching Mad Men for the first time. The second time around, I was supposed to pay attention to food, design, and table setting for this project, but alas, I got sucked in and forgot for the greater portion of six seasons. However, there are some scenes that I didn't need to actively remember because they made quite an impression.

One of those scenes is in season three episode four, 'The Arrangements.' After Grandpa Gene's death, the adults are sitting at the dining table, a world away from Sally. When she witnesses a moment of levity, she bursts forth with emotion, exclaiming no one cares that Gene is gone forever, and gets brushed off by Betty. ("Sally, go watch TV.") Betty snacks on the bruised peaches while the TV pacifies Sally in her ballet outfit. Besides the beautiful and emotive imagery, this scene speaks volumes. While defeated Sally lies on the floor, the adults make no attempt to show her that her claims are wrong, and continue with their sordid, repressed lives.

For me, it evokes Gregory Crewdson*, creator of lush imagery dealing with suburban psychological unrest. His images are not specific to any time period, but there are certainly visual crossovers with Mad Men.

Photo credit: AMC

Prior to his passing, Sally became close to Grandpa Gene. He was letting Sally drive his car down the street when he says he'll buy her peaches that afternoon. Bobby complains that he's allergic to peaches, but Gene tells him to shut it because his sister wants them. It's at the A&P buying the peaches where he collapses.

With this series of events in mind, I decided to make peach pie à la mode as a gesture toward Sally, even though she would be much older now, and also she's not a real person. Betty probably would probably take it away from her anyway.

Sweet vanilla bean ice cream and warm peaches offer a short, transient window of time to enjoy the dessert. I styled the photos after the image of the dining room and Sally in her ballet outfit, using dark, moody lighting and sheer fabrics.

Get the recipe:

📖 Recipe

Vegan Peach Pie

Yield: 1 pie

Prep Time: 45 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 35 minutes

This vegan peach pie is filled with sweet peaches and encased in a sugar-coated lattice crust.

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Ingredients

Crust:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup shortening
• ⅓ cup margarine
• ¼ cup cold vodka or ice water
• 3 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 5 cup peaches, sliced
• Pinch of lemon zest
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¾ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon cardamom
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon butter

Instructions

For the crust:

1. Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large mixing bowl.
2. Cut in shortening and margarine and mix in with your hands until the dough looks like sand.
3. Add vodka and ice water and mix until a dough forms, adding more water if necessary.
4. Separate the dough into two portions, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for an hour.
5. Preheat oven to 425°F. Roll out one of the chilled doughs and place in a greased pie plate. Poke with a fork so steam can escape. Pre-bake the crust for 8 minutes. Let cool.

For the filling:

1. Remove the peach skins by blanching the peaches. Boil a large pot of water, and prepare an ice bath.
2. Score a small X in the top of each peach. Place all the peaches in the boiling water for 45 seconds, then immediately transfer them to the ice bath. The skins will slip right off.
3. Slice the peaches and set aside.
4. Add lemon zest, lemon juice, sugars, spices, cornstarch, and salt to the peaches and mix until completely combined.
5. Pour into pie crust, then dot with butter.
6. Make a lattice crust with the other portion of dough.
7. Place completed pie on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
8. Reduce the heat to 375°F and finish baking for 30 minutes.
9. Let cool, then cut and serve.

Notes

• Make a lattice crust with the other portion of dough. There are people with beautiful kitchens on YouTube who can teach you how to make a lattice crust.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1 slice
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 510Total Fat: 23gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 14gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 299mgCarbohydrates: 68gFiber: 3gSugar: 29gProtein: 6g

All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on seitanbeatsyourmeat.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimates.

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