My favorite deep dish pie plate that I have been using for years recently developed a crack.  I use this pie plate every time I do living history cooking or make a pie.  It is the perfect size to fit inside the baking kettle (dutch oven) and holds rolls, a small cake, or a fruit pie with equal ease.  The straight sides keep the ingredients from spilling over or sloshing.

So far the pie plate is still useable, but I decided I better get a new one before this one gets any worse.  Unfortunately, I couldn’t find any online that were 1) the right size with 2) straight up sides that 3) looked period appropriate for historical cooking.  We bought one for Fort Frederica two years ago that satisfied 1 and 3 but had sloping sides.  When we used it a couple of weeks ago, the pie filling almost slid out into the baking kettle.

Tom and I bought the pie plate on San Juan Island when we worked there in 2017.  Tom found the name of the place where we bought it, Island Studios, and I placed a call.  The owner of Island Studios knew who made the pie plate from our description of it, and she immediately sent us a picture of the only pie plate she had in stock by the same potter.  Unfortunately, the one in stock had fluted edges and sloping sides.

Knowing it wouldn’t do, I sent her a picture of the perfect (except for the crack) one we have.  She replied that she didn’t have any in stock, but we should contact the potter directly.  She told us to look at Blue Water Pottery in Bellingham, Washington.  Their Facebook page says Blue Water Pottery is “Pottery designed to be used. Destined to make all your other dishes lonely.  High-fire, vibrant, functional pottery that makes your other dinnerware jealous.”  The Facebook page didn’t list anything to buy, but it did have the link for the shop on Etsy.

I found a deep dish pie plate on the Blue Water Etsy page that satisfied all three of my requirements and ordered it immediately.  It came protectively packaged just three days later!  All the way from Bellingham!  Better that Amazon Prime these days!

Turns out my new pie plate is about 1/2 inch smaller than the old one.  Tom figured out the difference in volume for me (about a cup) but I decided that the smaller size will do just fine.  I used it in my living history cooking on Saturday.  I made the usual yeast rolls in the old plate and a deep dish apple pie in the new plate.  Both turned out perfectly!

I am delighted that we found the potter who made my old pie plate and that he had one in stock and shipped it so quickly.  I now have two beautiful pie plates, at least until the old one completely breaks.  A little online investigation on our part led to a wonderful result from Blue Water Pottery.