By Teresa Woodard

Cherries and berries make a great combination.  I prefer sour cherries from our backyard and wild black raspberries from the preserve near our house, but this week I used store-bought raspberries since the black raspberries aren’t ripe yet.  The recipe also works well with frozen fruit.  In fact, we freeze some cherries and berries for a pie for Christmas Eve dinner.

Cherry Berry Pie

Based on a recipe from Williams Sonoma

Basic pie pastry for a 9-inch double-crust pie

2 TBS quick-cooking tapioca

1 c sugar

¼ TSP salt

3 c pitted sour cherries

3 c raspberries or blackberries

2 TBS unsalted butter

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees.  In a large bowl, stir the tapioca, sugar and salt.  Add the cherries and berries and toss to mix well.  Pile the fruit mixture into an uncooked pastry-lined pan and dot with bits of the butter.  Cover with the top crust, trim, flute the edges and cut vents.  For another option, try a lattice top.  Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350 degrees, cover edges of crust with foil and bake for 35-40 minutes.