Like whey, buttermilk presented problems in trying to find suitable uses for it. When it was unfashionable it was often poured away. Sometimes richer buttermilk could be turned into cheese, and in other cases it found its way into tarts. The recipes for these travelled across with the Pilgrims to America, where 'buttermilk pie' came to epitomise all that was good about American family cooking. In America, it is served with cranberries or blueberries at room temperature. Cream and creme fraiche are other good accompaniments. This tart is an amalgam of a number of early recipes. It is simple to make and with no cream it is light and easily digested, and its clean-cut appearance is very inviting.