Dessert: Blueberry Pie

This is one of the best pies I've ever had!

First make the crust:

Stir together:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 tsp salt
Add:
3/4 cup chilled lard or vegetable shortening
3 Tbs cold unsalted butter
Work the shortening into the flour mixture with a pastry blender or the tips of your fingers,until it is pea sized. Sprinkle the dough with:
6 Tbs ice water
Blend the water into the dough, lifting it with a fork to allow the moisture to spread. Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap or wax paper and store in refrigerator until you're ready to roll it out. After rolling out the dough, line the bottom of a 9-inch round pan with one half of the dough.

For the filling:
Preheat the oven to 425.
Combine:
5 cups of fresh blueberries (or thawed frozen berries)
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
3 1/2 to 4 Tbs cornstarch (use 4 Tbs if you want to make a lattice crust on top; that will firm up the filling)
1 Tbs fresh lemon juice
1/8 tsp salt
Pour the mixture into the bottom crust and cover with the other half of the crust. Prick it with a fork to vent it, or make a lattice tip by cutting the rolled out dough into strips and laying them across each other on the top of the pie. Bake at 425 degrees for about 20 minutes. Then lower the temperature to 350 degrees, and bake for about 30 minutes more, or until the crust is browned and (if you made a lattice) thick berry juice bubbles up. If making a lattice, you may want to put a cookie sheet under the pie pan to keep it from bubbling over.

Recipe adapted from The Joy of Cooking, by Irma Rombauer, Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker, published by Scribner, Copyright 2006.