After getting my first taste of rawberry pie at a potluck, I decided this dish needed to be added to my repertoire of culinary achievements. I must thank my good friend Larry Cowan for passing on the recipe which is easily found on the web, as most any recipe can be these days. 


Raspberry/blackberry pie – ready to eat or decorate
Click here for the Rawberry Pie Recipe, or keep reading, because I go into what I think is better detail in this blog.

What is Rawberry?
It’s basically what the name implies. An uncooked, all natural, and raw pie. It takes only 4 ingredients and requires no cooking. There a many books and websites with tons of information about the benefits of sticking to wholesome, unprocessed and raw foods. Learn more about the raw diet here. This is just one source.

Is it Potluck Material?
I think it’s great for potlucks, but generally it’s not recommended to take a first try recipe to a potluck, but sometimes one has to throw caution to the wind and take a chance. Really, the worst thing that can happen is people don’t like it, or I suppose get sick. Either way, it’s only a temporary matter and taking your potluck dish back home is not the end of the world. If someone gets sick, they’ll likely blame it on undercooked meat anyway, so again. the risk is really quite minimal.

Cyclists – A Strange Lot
The potluck I was going to was an end of year BBQ for the Olympia Orthopeadic Associates bicycle race team. Cyclists who race can be  a bit finicky about their food. Each person has their own special diet and eclectic list of foods they will or will not eat. Light beer, dark beer, gluten free, no sugar, more sugar, breads with nuttella,protein, no wheat, quinoa, lean meats and the list goes on. Typically, it’s best to avoid highly processed foods for such an occasion. But that’s not a rule either.

What do I Need?
Here’s what you’ll need to make this pie. Keep in mind I increased the recipe by 50% to fill my larger pie plate and I added cream cheese for color. Cream cheese also adds a bit of flavor. I suggest you use your most favorite berries or mix of berries.

Tools
  • Food processor to mix the ingredients.
  • About 30 minutes time for your first try.
  • A little knife to pit the dates.
  • 1/2, 1 and 2 or 4 cup measure. 
  • Pie pan or tin.
  • Large bowl.
  • Plastic baggy or pastry bag.


Ingredients: 

Berries, pecans, banana and dates.

The basic recipe calls for about 75% of what I used in this pie and listed below. Large pie pans call for increasing quantities.

  • 16 Dates
  • 1 1/2 cups pecans
  • 3 cups raspberries
  • 1 cup blackberries
  • 3 banannas
  •  1 cup whipped cream cheese (optional)




The Crust: 

Squish the crust into the pan. No oil required.

Measure 1 1/2 cups of pecans and grind them in a food processor to a medium fine grind, not to a flour.

Pit 12 dates and cut them into small pieces and blend with the pecans in the food processor. Smaller pieces will be easier on your food processor. Squish the pecan/date crust into the pie dish.




The Filling: 

Pour the fling into the crust.

For the filling blend 3 bananas, about 10 to 12 berries and 2 or 3 dates in the food processor. This becomes the binder. No need to wash the food processor between steps. 


Pour the binder into a large bowl and fold in 4 cups of berries. Then pour the filling mix into the crust.

For a firm set, refrigerate for a couple hours, or overnight if possible. You can also eat it straightway!

Final Touches: And if you are so inclined, you can decorate your creation to your heart’s desire. I used a plastic freezer bag with a tiny hole cut in the corner as a sort of poor man’s pastry bag to squeeze out some whipped cream cheese. Decorate or coat with berries as  you see fit.

Caloric Value: I estimated this pie at about 3,800 calories in total. This is a rough estimate based on the advertised calories of ingredients.



Make this an you’ll be a hit at the next potluck!!