Study for Obedience: Berry Cherry Pie

This month we’re reading the Giller Prize winner Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein. Described as an allegory for anti-semitism, the novel tells a story of a sister who is reunited with her brother in a remote town up north. As she lives there she begins to notice the towns people are treating her oddly.

There is a key scene in the novel where the protaganist orders a slice of pie in the diner that really shifts the mood of the book. I took inspiration from the cherry pie she orders as well as the wild berries that grow around her brother’s home and created a Berry Cherry Pie. I used frozen pie crust for this recipe but feel free to make fresh. I recommend this pie crust.

Berry Cherry Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups blueberries

• 1 cup blackberries

• 1 cup cherries, pitted and halved

• 1 cup strawberries, quartered

• 3 tbsp corn startch

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/2 tsp cinnamon

• 2 frozen pie shells, thawed according to directions

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425 F

2. In a large bowl combine all the berries, corn startch, sugar, and cinnamon. Mix until all the berries are coated. It is okay if some of the berries burst.

3. Place the berry mixture into one of thawed shells. Cover with second pie shell and crimp the edges together with a fork.

4. Bake in oven for 25 minutes, then reduce heat to 375 F and continue baking for another 40 minutes.

5. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.