Fresh Blueberry Pie, Yup No Oil, No Gluten

I've been picking blueberries from our little patch, one berry at a time for the past couple weeks. Just in the last three days the production has risen to a pint a day. This doesn't last long among our 4 tall and 2 low bushes, but it is the one moment all summer when I can even think about using berries by cupfuls. A rare occasional dinner with both our kids home prompted me to look up fresh blueberry pie ideas, the crust being the challenge. How to make a pie crust with no oil? Here's one way!

THE CRUST:

 

2 Tablespoons ground flax seeds
1/4 cup almond meal
1/2 cup potato starch
1/2 cup brown rice flour
2 pinches salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp "Truvia" - 9a stevia based sweetener with sugar) or other sweetener
1/4 cup +1 Tablespoon Plain Almond milk

Mix the dry ingredients well. Pour the milk into the middle and stir until it globs together, then take it in your hands and model it like playdough, until it forms a coherent ball of dough.

Put parchment paper into a 9" glass pie plate (use a nonstick if you have one, I don't). Press the dough ball into the center of the pan, working slowly pressing from the center to each edge, then pinching up the sides to form a pie plate shape. Cut off the extra floppy edges of the parchment paper, and bake at 350-375F for 20-25 minutes. The crust will be flecked and a bit crumbly but holds together fine. Let it cool, and then lifting it carefully by the parchment paper, slip it off the parchment and into a 2nd clean glass pie plate (or the same one if you can manage that).

THE FILLING:

2 pints of blueberries (or 5 cups)
2.5  Tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 cup sugar equivalent (I used 1/4 cup Truvia +2 Tblsps)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
2/3 cup water
2tsp-+ 1 tsp lemon zest OR 2 Tblsp lemon juice (depending upon how you like it)
1 tsp vanilla extract
(non-vegans can add a dab of butter)


In a medium saucepan mix dry ingredients: cornstarch, sugar, salt, cinnamon. Add the water and about 1-1.5 cups of blueberries, smashing some of the berries with a potato masher. Heat on medium high heat, stirring, until it comes to a boil. Stir constantly for about a minute until it gets very thick. It will keep changing color which is lovely to watch.

Remove from heat, add lemon juice, lemon zest (if you want) and vanilla. Let cool. You can cool it faster by setting the pot in a bowl or pan of cold water.
Once cool. Add another 1.5 cups of berries (or more) and stir them into the gloopy mix.

Spoon this gloopy filling into the baked crust. Cover the top with a layer of fresh blueberries and let this chill. Decorate this pie with anything you like -- a sprinkle of confectioner's sugar goes a long way. Serve with a dab of vanilla coconut yogurt or anything that tickles your blueberry pie fancy!