[Sca-cooks] Best bulk pie crust recipe?

[jimandandi at cox.net]

I am embarrassed to admit I have never made pie crusts from scratch for a feast. 

I am making chard and ricotta pies for a feast coming up, and I'd like to do covered coffin-style pies but I'm afraid a period hard crust would be seen as just "bad pie crust" around here. 

I would prefer not to use vegetable shortening (yuck), but butter would be too expensive and lard means even fewer vegetarian dishes. Oil pastry doesn't have enough stability for a coffin-style pie.

What is your favorite bulk pastry recipe? Have you made hard pastry cases for feasts? How were they received?

Madhavi