It's Berry Season

Would you believe we didn’t eat pie when I was a kid? It’s true. Mom certainly never baked one and us kids never missed them. Even as a young adult, I was not a pie eater. Then one day...poof...I decided I wanted to bake a blueberry pie. Luckily the recipe I found way back when is a good one. I never use any other recipe. I think it’s a Martha Stewart recipe from the time she was at Food Network. It works with just about any berry, and it’s not overly sweet.

Berry Pie

• 4 cups fresh berries (I used raspberry, rhubarb and blueberries)
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 tbs cornstarch
• 2 tbs lemon juice
• 1 tbs butter
• 2 tbs milk or cream
• 2 pie crusts (recipe follows, or use store-bought)

Preheat oven to 400º.

In a large bowl, combine the sugar and cornstarch. Mix until all the clumps disappear.
Add the berries and lemon juice. Toss well to combine. Fill a 9 inch pie crust with the berries and dot with the butter. Cover with the second crust and make a small slit in the middle for steam. Brush the crust with the milk or cream. Bake at 400º for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350º and continue to bake until golden brown (anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes). Make sure to put a baking sheet underneath the pie as it bakes in case it leaks. Allow the pie to cool completely before slicing, otherwise the filling will be runny.

Store-bought pie crusts are very good now, and most people wouldn’t notice the difference (I surely wouldn't). However, if you want to try making your own, it’s pretty easy, especially if you have a food processor. This recipe makes two crusts and is good for sweet or savory fillings.

Pie Crust

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• ½ tsp salt
• 2/3 cups cold butter
• 6-7 tbs water

Stir together the flour and the salt. Cut the butter into the flour until it resembles small peas. This is easiest/fastest with a food processor. Just give it a few pulses. Sprinkle in 1 tbs water at a time until dough comes together, pulsing between each addition. If you’re doing it by hand, knead a little between each addition. Chill in the fridge for at least 30 minutes before rolling out into two crusts.