The lead character in “Waitress” is a very gifted piemaker, so I knew I had to pick this movie for a Pi(e) Day pairing.

There is a memorable interaction in the movie with a peach tart, so I’m going with peach pie for the pairing.

This vegan, gluten-free pie makes 8 slices or “servings.”

Crust Ingredients
1 gluten-free, vegan pie crust, prepped in a pie pan

Filling Ingredients
10 ounces frozen peach slices
0.25 teaspoons vanilla
0.5 cups sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch
0.25 teaspoons cinnamon
0.25 teaspoons nutmeg
pinch of salt

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 350°F.

In a small bowl, pour the vanilla over the peach slices. Set aside.

Separately, whisk the sugar, starch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt together in a bowl.

Stir the vanilla-flavored peach slices in so they become coated in the mixture.

Pour the filling into the pie crust.

Place your pie on a pan that will catch any filling bubbling over.

Put it in the oven and bake for 35-40 minutes.

Let it cool for 10 minutes.

Slice and serve with a showing of “Waitress!”

The Easy Route
You can buy premade pie filling and/or a premade crust to make this easier for home baking. I did use a premade crust for ours.

Of course, you might be able track down a vegan, gluten-free peach pie from a local bakery, restaurant or grocery store.

The Pairing
I love “Waitress.” Much like the pies Jenna (Keri Russell) makes, the movie is just so comforting.

As the movie starts, we learn three key things about Jenna:
1) She loves making pies at the diner where she works as a waitress.
2) She is newly pregnant.
3) She wants to leave her husband.

These three points drive the plot of the film forward.

One of my favorite things about the movie is when Jenna closes her eyes and develops new pie recipes. It very much reminds me of how I think when I develop a new recipe, for pie or anything else.

In addition to a very endearing performance by Russell as Jenna, “Waitress” boasts a wonderful supporting cast. Adrienne Shelly (who also wrote and directed the movie) and Cheryl Hines are Dawn and Becky, Jenna’s fellow waitresses at the diner.

Jeremy Sisto plays her horrible husband, Earl, while Nathan Fillion plays her doctor, Dr. Pomatter. The one and only Andy Griffith has a memorable role as Joe, the owner of the diner and a frequent customer.

They all play key roles in making this film truly compelling.

The joy Jenna experiences as she explores a new romantic relationship with a man who truly loves and respects her is downright infectious, and it’s one of the many reasons why “Waitress” is one of my favorite movies.

If you decide to make peach pie and/or watch “Waitress,” let us know! Tag us in your Instagram posts & stories, threads, tweets or TikTok videos: @veg_out_recipes