Berry Pie: The Zen Way

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees.

(Yes, this is my antique, 1970's Magic Chef Electric Range.)

BLACKBERRY FILLING

Mix and let stand while you make crust:

About 6 cups fresh wild blackberries

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup Minute Tapioca

(make sure you have 1 tablespoon butter to add to berries before top crust)

CLAIRE'S CRUST (EASY)

1. Measure two cups unbleached flour, exactly as possible. "Cut" off excess flour at top with table knife.
   
2. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon sea salt.
   
3. As you pour in 1/2 cup canola or other suitable oil (mild flavored), mix with fork.
   
4. Add approximately 1/2 cup milk (this is the Zen part) according to atmospheric conditions the dough will come together with more or less milk. As dough begins to stick together stop pouring milk.  Sometimes I have used as little as 1/4 cup milk. 
   
5. Knead the dough slightly and form soft ball.  Divide dough into two equal balls.
   
6. Flatten 1 ball onto wax paper and cover with another sheet of wax paper.  
   
7. Roll with rolling pin from center outward until dough is about 1/4 inch thick, roundish and larger than your pie pan.  
   
8. Lift top sheet of wax paper and place over 8 1/2 inch pie plate, wax paper side up. 
   
9. Peel off wax paper.
   
10. Add berries + 1 tablespoon butter, broken into little dots that you scatter on top of fruit.
11. Repeat the roll and lift, laying top crust over berries and butter.
12. Crimp together top and bottom crust.
13. Cut out vent. I always put a heart: for Heart Space, for love, for the courageous heart it takes to brave those thorns and pick the wild blackberries.
14. Place pie pan on cookie sheet and bake for one hour at 400 degrees. (Middle oven rack)
15. Cool for at least 1 1/2 hours for best results. 
    

See photos of steps in posting above.