This is an end of the summer pie that I made for my birthday celebration using seasonal blackberries, juicy fresh apples, and a blended blueberry sauce. The fruits were quickly assembled atop an easy to make date nut crust that complemented the berries perfectly.

The flavor of the blackberries brought an unexpected contrast to the apples and blueberries. The ambrosial result of the combined tastes, textures, and aromas had us ooohing as we gobbled it up. I blew out a candle, making deep and heartfelt wishes for my next journey around the sun.

Ingredients for Crust (Makes one 7 inch round)
1/3 cup walnuts
1/3 cup almonds
6 Medjool dates, pitted
1/4 teaspoon Himalayan, or Celtic salt

Ingredients for Fruit
1 fuji apple
1/2 cup blueberries
1/4 cup blackberries
1/4 cup pure water
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Directions
Grind almonds in a coffee mill until powdery. Transfer to a food processor. Add walnuts, salt, and dates. Process until texture is fine and even.
Press out on wax paper, making the edges nice. Transfer to a plate by placing plate over the crust, then turn both upside down. Remove wax paper.
Peel and core apples. Cut into quarters and slice as thinly as possible. We use a mandoline. Arrange in a flower-like pattern atop crust.
Wash blackberries, drain, and put in a little mound in the center of the apples.
Put blueberries, water, and cinnamon into blender and blend until velvety smooth.
Spoon over pie, reserving extra for use at the table. Or pour into a plastic squeeze bottle, and drizzle atop, making a restaurant-like presentation.
The pie holds its shape beautifully when sliced.

Sometimes we find there are certain ingredients in a recipe (such as chocolate, wheat, or hot peppers) that are on our "off list", so we have to improvise, substituting one ingredient for another. When I look in the fridge and see what's there, my body communicates the information it wants me to know via my eyes. The foods that look good are almost always what the body wants to eat. This response provides an opportunity to improvise and co-create with the food and its energy through the use of intuition.

In my mind I see and learn through pictures, and ideas come to me this way. If I can "see" it, I can make it. An inner sense of smell (much like a memory), and the feedback that comes from my body when I imagine certain ingredients being put together, add up to knowing just how to go about making a meal.

I first envisioned making this pie with a blackberry sauce using freshly picked berries, but blackberry season had unexpectedly come to a close this year. I was only able to pick one quarter cup from the vines next to our house before I was badly stabbed by an unseen thorn. With a heavily bleeding finger, I didn't want to venture into the patch again.

This left me wondering, now what? The only thing to do was to improvise because the crust had already been made. Blueberries were in the fridge and I knew they would be a good substitute for the sauce. And the precious whole blackberries could then be placed atop the sliced apples, glistening like dark jewels.

I think it actually worked better this way because the beauty of the whole blackberries added so much to the overall appeal and taste of the pie.

Results like this continually surprise us, and improvising often brings something unique, a dish that we'd want to make again. Our new pie is simply beautiful, delicious, and pretty enough to serve to family, friends, or company—anytime or anywhere.