good morning from my deck on a quiet and warm sunday morning :)
We have one of the best farm stands around – Schartner Farms. If you’re local and haven’t been here (I doubt it though!) then you’ll definitely love it. Aside from being a produce and fruit stand, they also have an amazing green house, offer strawberry and blueberry picking, and of course… an amazing pumpkin patch come fall. June is my favorite time for Schartner Farms, though. Because STRAWBERRY PICKING SEASON!
This was actually my first ever job as a teen. I worked at both the strawberry and blueberry picking stands. Talk about a dream job… I wish I could have appreciated it more back then. Hanging out in a strawberry patch? Yes please.
Anyways, so my bro and I have a yearly tradition to go strawberry picking. Naturally, we went on opening day. I have to be honest and say that this year’s pick was not as great as usual. I imagine it’s because of all the weird weather we had. The berries are pretty small, but at least they are sweet. At only $2.25 a lb, I ended up scoring a ton for $8. I’m not mad at that price at all. I may actually go back in a week or two with my mom to see if maybe they open up a different section with better selection? We’ll see! At least blueberry season isn’t far behind.
Whatever the case, these strawberries got the job done for the pie that I was dreaming about. Really simple recipe here, so I hope that it inspires you to bake something sweet and pretty!
Recipe
Oven: 450 F
Bake Time: 15-17 minutes
For crust, you will need:
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 2 tbs organic cane sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup chilled butter (cut into squares or chunks)
- 1/2 cup cold water (I let an ice cube melt in mine)
For filling, you will need:
- 2 cups fresh strawberries
- 1/2 tsp cinnamon + 1 tbs organic cane sugar mix
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar
- Juice from 1/2 lemon
- Water, as needed
To make:
- For the crust – really simple. Add flour, sugar, and salt to a large bowl and add 1/2 cup chilled butter squares. Using your fingers, work the butter into the mixture until it is course. Add your cold water and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Take dough out of bowl and knead on a floured surface until smooth – cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for an hour (or more, if you need to).
- To make filling, take 1 cup of fresh strawberries and cut into halves. Mix with cinnamon and 1 tbs sugar in a bowl and set aside.
- Take the other cup of strawberries and mash in a small bowl. Add mashed strawberries to a pan over medium heat with 1/2 cup cane sugar, lemon juice, and about 1/4 – 1/2 cup water. Cover and let cook for about 5-10 min, stirring occasionally and adding water if necessary. Allow this strawberry mash to thicken. This took me about 20-25 min all together.
- When crust is done being chilled, take 1/2 of it and roll out on a floured surface and add to the bottom of your pie dish. Take the other half, roll out, and cut into long thin strips.
- Add strawberry and cinnamon/sugar mix to the bottom of pie crust.
- Top fresh strawberries with the mash mixture from the stove.
- Lay strips down one way, then the other – making sure to pinch the ends so that the dough sticks together.
- Bake at 450 F for about 15-17 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Allow to cool/set for about a half hour before serving.
It may seem like a lot of steps, but this recipe is pretty straight-forward and simple. I think it’s well worth it – trust me.
I am off to make something good for breakfast – even though it is tempting to eat the pie. I’m thinking lentil something… we’ll see! Have a beautiful day, loves. xx bianca
