blueberry pie + orange nut crust

the sun's rays are gentle at this hour, sweetly golden, a caress on the back of our necks. we are picking blueberries, little round luscious berries just at their peak, our baskets half full, fingers stained violet. the orchard is not large, the shrubs still small but the branches are abundant with fruit.

we've been at it for almost an hour, i am sweaty, my hair falling out of its braid. my beloved is just down the way, his basket beside him on the ground. we're almost done for the day, tho really, the day is just starting for the rest of the world. we stroll among the bushes, sticky hand in sticky hand. we daydream about what we'll do with this bounty: jam? smoothie? pie?

no matter, we take what we pick home, wash them and most go into the freezer, tho we keep a stash fresh to nibble on while we decide. two weekends last month we made use of them in pie. correction. dw did. he's a pie man. he's a blueberry man.

Blueberry Pie + Orange Nut Crust

crust recipe adapted from dw's childhood friends, the Kanthors, originally from the NY Times Large
Print Cookbook

pie filling recipe adapted from sweet kat's kitchen

crust:

2 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

3/4 cup soy margarine, cold

zest of one orange

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans

5 TBL ice cold vodka, approx

mix flour, salt, & sugar in a bowl. pulse in soy margarine in food processor. add orange zest and nuts. add in vodka, one tablespoon at a time, pulsing after each addition. roll in a ball, refrigerate at least an hour before using.

topping:

2/3 cup packed light brown sugar

3/4 cup rolling oats

1/2 cup flour

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

6 T liquid coconut oil

filling:

3/4 cup organic sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 TBL cornstarch

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 TBL fresh squeezed orange juice

5 cups fresh blueberries, or in our case, thawed

pre-heat oven 375F.

do up the pie crust in deep dish pie pan.

in a large bowl, stir together the sugar, flour, cornstarch & cinnamon. add in blueberries. add lemon juice, combine gently. pour into pie crust.

for the topping, in a bowl, mix together the brown sugar, oats, flour, cinnamon & nutmeg. add in the coconut oil until crumbly. spread as evenly over the filling. bake for 60 minutes, or until top is golden brown.

cool completely before cutting in. personally, i liked it better the next day. serve alone, or with a generous scoop of coconut vanilla ice cream.