Summer Bucket List: Blackberry Picking {part 1}

{doing}&{cooking}

 Well, I didn't end up getting as much done this week as I had hoped, but I did get to do another activity from my "summer bucket list" :D.  Thursday my husband had the day off and the weather was absolutely perfect (70-some degrees, sunny, and low humidity), which was a really nice change from the heat and humidity we've been having lately (it is Virginia in the summer so heat and humidity is definitely more the norm.... doesn't mean I have to like it lol).  We decided to take advantage of the opportunity to go out to Miller Farms and pick some blackberries (probably my favorite berries - and I love berries) from their pick-your-own patch..  They have a wonderful set up there with the patch being right across the street from the market and they have parking right there at the patch, and all you pay for is the berries you picked (unlike some places that I've known of that charged an admission fee for the patch and then you have to pay for your berries on top of that) and the price per pound for the blackberries is very good.
    So this post I'm going to share some pictures from while we were at the patch and also my recipe for Blackberries and Cream Pie that I made last night :)

looking down one of the rows of blackberry bushes

all different maturities of the berries on one branch (start out white-ish and then darken to red and eventually to the purple/black that means they're ripe)

picking some ripe ones

starting to fill our basket (provided by the farm)

it really is a pretty and peaceful location out there

blackberries

our basket almost full

heading back to the car to head across the street to the market to pay for the blackberries (and of course pick up a few other things while we were out there anyway)

Blackberries and Cream Pie:

Ingredients:

 
1 pie crust (store bought refrigerated/frozen, or home-made)
8 oz. Cream Cheese (1 package)
1/4 c. Sugar (my husband said he would have like more sugar in it and if you like things ridiculously sweet like him feel free to use a little bit more than this.....)
1 c. Heavy Cream
1/4 c. Milk
about 2-3 c. Blackberries* (doesn't have to be exact, just enough to fill pie pan in a single layer before being mixed with cream mixture)

*this isn't absolutely necessary, but will make the pie tastier and bring out the juices in the blackberries some if you sprinkle them with a little sugar and leave them on the counter for a little bit to macerate some before mixing them in, in step 5.  I just sprinkled them with sugar (mix them to coat) right after I put the pie crust in to bake and it worked out well..... 

Directions:

{1} Preheat oven to 450 degrees (or temperature suggested on pie crust packaging or your recipe if using homemade)

{2} Lay crust in the bottom of pie pan. Pierce with fork (and/or use pie weights) and pinch the edges into a decorative scallop. 

    Bake for 11-13 minutes (or according to package/recipe directions) until done.

{3} While crust is cooling, cream sugar and cream cheese together, let your cream cheese soften a bit and cut it into chunks before adding to bowl to make it easier. (use an electric mixer on low-med. speed or the back of a wooden spoon)

 

{4} Gradually add cream while beating at low speed with an electric mixer.  Once incorporated beat at med. speed until fluffy.  Add milk and continue beating until it is creamy/smooth and holds it's shape

 

{5} Cut larger blackberries in half and leave smaller ones whole. Gently fold the blackberries into cream mixture until the berries are evenly distributed and the juices are swirled with the cream.

{6} Spread filling in baked and cooled crust and refrigerate at least an hour before serving (store in refrigeration)

  And I still have a decent amount of blackberries left after making this from just that one basket's worth that we picked (although I would have loved to have gotten another basket or two of them but I was trying not to bankrupt us on blackberries.... although after it was weighed it ended up being a lot less than I was afraid it might be, but my husband said no to going back across the street to pick more lol).  So I'll be posting some of my other ideas for using the blackberries sometime in the next couple of days.