Fresh Strawberry Pie

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             FOOD FUNNY
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Here's a good one from Anna Welander:

"I'm prescribing these pills for you," said the doctor to the overweight
patient, who tipped the scales at about three hundred pounds. "I don't
want you to swallow them. Just spill them on the floor twice a day and try to pick them up, one at a time."

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             TODAY'S RECIPE
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If you are asking yourself questions like "how can you improve on fresh
strawberries?" and "why would you want to ruin them by baking them in a pie?" then this recipe is for you.

Fresh Strawberry Pie

6 cups (1.5 L) firm ripe strawberries
1-9 in.(20 to 25 cm) pastry pie crust, baked and cooled
1/2 cup (125 ml) plus 1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar
3 Tbs (45 ml) cornstarch (cornflour)
2 Tbs (30 ml) cold water
1 Tbs (15 ml) fresh lemon juice
1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream

Pick over the berries carefully, removing the stems and hulls. Wash in a
sieve or colander under cold running water and place on paper towels to
drain. Pat the berries completely dry. Arrange half of them (the most
perfect ones) in the pie shell and set aside. Coarsely chop the
remaining berries and combine them with 1/2 cup (125 ml) sugar in a
stainless steel saucepan. Bring the berries to a simmer over moderate
heat, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch, water,
and lemon juice together to form a smooth paste. Pour the paste into the
strawberry mixture, stirring constantly, and continue to cook for 2 to 3
minutes, until the mixture thickens. Puree the strawberry mixture
through a fine mesh sieve, pressing down hard with a wooden spoon or
spatula to extract as much of the berries as possible before discarding
the seeds. Taste the puree and add more lemon juice or sugar, as
desired. Pour the puree over the berries and spread it evenly with a
rubber spatula. Cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil or wax paper
and refrigerate for at least two hours.

Just before serving whip the cream and 1 Tbs (15 ml) sugar until it is
stiff. Spread on top of the pie, making decorative swirls with the
spatula and serve immediately. Alternately, you may serve the whipped
cream on the side and allow diners to help themselves.
Received on Wed Feb 18 20:20:34 2009