The Secret Life of Walter Knitty

I am in need of some culinary assistance.  I would say desperate need, but that would sound a little melodramatic.  I’m looking for a sour cherry (pie cherry, tart cherry) pie recipe that I can make without a pie pan.  A galette or rustic pie. 

There are a couple of sour cherry trees behind my apartment.  I picked some the other day, and oh, how I wish I had Go-Go Gadget Legs.  If I was just a few inches taller (damn those genes!  Why did I get all the short ones?  My brother is 6 feet tall.  I come in at a measly 5′2″! )  Being short has some advantages, but at times like this it’s a major disadvantage.  Insert melodramatic sigh and melodramatic hand gestures here.

Before everyone gags on melodrama, here are some details.  I probably have about a cup to a cup and a half of fruit.  If I get lucky with the ladder (there’s always a chance right?), I might be able to pick another 1-1 1/2 cups.  Maybe.  The second tree is starting to get ripe. 

I could save myself a lot of trouble and try to get a couple of pints from the farmers market.  They went for 5$ a pint last summer.  There is no way in hell I’m going to pay 5$ for a freaking pint of cherries.  I’ll take my chances with the ladder,  Thank you very much.

The thing is, sour cherry pie is my favourite.  Hands down absolute favourite pie.  Sour cherry jam is almost better.  Emil (my dad’s father) had a tree in his backyard and would make both.  Every summer my Dad, brother, and I would spend several days at his house picking cherries off that tree.  Whenever we’d get jam, I’d eat the cherries out of the jam.  What can I say, they were my favourite part.

What I’m thinking is to take a pie recipe, halve it, make the crust, put in the cherries mixed with cornstarch (or flour), sugar, a little vanilla, some cinnamon, fold the crust around the cherries and bake.

If you know where I can find a recipe, or have a good one, or can give a point in the general direction I’d really appreciate it.