Fresh Strawberry Pie

I’ve had this pie recipe drafted to share for a few months, but am just now sharing it. While the peak of strawberry season has passed us, you can still find ripe and delicious strawberries for an affordable price this time of year.

As you should know, I’m quite the pie aficionado. I love it in all forms and in all seasons, but fruit pies are definitely my favorite. When it comes to fruit pies, I like them to taste as fresh as possible. Why use fresh fruit if you’re just going to make it taste canned? This recipe really hits the mark when it comes to tasting fresh, mostly because only half of the berries are cooked.
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Fresh Strawberry Pie
Serves 6-8 (or 1 if you’re me)

2 pounds fresh strawberries
3/4 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 unbaked pie crust
Optional: vanilla ice cream or whipped cream to top

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Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Dice 1 pound berries or process in food processor until they reach a similarly chopped texture (my favorite shortcut).
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Scoop berries into a saucepan and cook over medium heat. Add sugar to the pan along with the lemon juice and stir to combine. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water. Pour into the strawberry mixture and stir vigorously. Cook on low heat for 8-10 minutes or until mixture thickens, making sure to stir frequently to prevent lumps. Check to make sure your sauce isn’t cloudy before you remove it from the heat, so you know that the cornstarch has fully cooked.
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While the sauce cools, place pie crust into 9″ or 10″ pie plate. Crimp the edges and then lightly prick the bottom and sides with fork about 30 times. Place a piece of foil inside the pie crust, lightly pressing around inside bottom edges of crust. Fill with dried beans (or pie weights if you have them) and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove beans and foil. Return it to the oven and bake for 5 minutes until edges are golden brown. Note, you can reuse these beans. I store mine with my baking supplies in a little baggie marked pie beans.
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While the crust cooks, cut the remaining strawberries into halves and mix into your cooled sauce.
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Let your crust cool for a few minutes and then pour the strawberry mixture into your baked pie shell. Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until the pie is set. Serve topped with whipped cream or with ice cream on the side.
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The final product seconds before I attacked it with a fork. Plating a slice is for suckers.

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What’s your favorite summer time pie? I’m also a big fan of blackberry or boysenberry pies, but these varieties of berries are hard to find in this area. Someone in Seattle send me a care package of berries!
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XOXO,
Jules

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The Ultimate Summer Salad

I’m a big fan of the classics, but every once in awhile I encounter a version of something that’s just as good – or dare I say it, even better – than the original. This twist on the traditional Caprese salad is one of those things. Swap out heirloom tomatoes for nectarines, add a little lime zest, and you’ve got one of the most mouth-wateringly delicious summer recipes to ever grace your taste buds.

Here’s what you’ll need for one serving:

• 1 yellow nectarine
• About 2 ounces mozzarella
• Several large, fresh basil leaves
• Lime (for zesting)
• Olive oil, salt, and pepper to taste

Cut up your nectarine and mozzarella into manageable bite-size pieces and arrange artfully with torn-up basil leaves. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle on some salt and freshly ground pepper, and top it all off with a bit of lime zest (the citrus is the key to that extra jolt of summery goodness). The resulting flavors will haunt your dreams for days to come!

This salad takes about two minutes to throw together and tastes like the essence of summer. Seriously, I’ve made this at least four times in the past week – it’s earned itself a permanent spot in my summer repertoire! I think it would also be pretty good with peaches, but I’m a nectarine lover through and through.

Do you have a favorite summer recipe?

♥ Mil

Grill, Baby, Grill: 7 Recipes for Memorial Day Weekend

Memorial Day is almost upon us, and with it comes the unofficial beginning of summer and the promise of many delightful outdoor meals. Pretty much everything tastes better when you eat it with friends on a sunny patio, am I right? If you’re hosting a Memorial Day get-together, these delicious recipes are all you need to keep your crew happy. There’s something for everyone, from the steak lovers to the vegans and everybody in between. Happy grilling!

Grilled Chicken Souvlaki via Closet Cooking

 

Grilled Lime, Cilantro & Paprika Corn via Blissful Basil

 

Pork Chops with Grilled Nectarines via Eat Live Run

 

Mediterranean Grilled Stuffed Avocado via Food Faith Fitness

 

Honey Grilled Watermelon Caprese Salad via How Sweet It Is

 

Thai Coconut Lime Skirt Steak via Healthy Seasonal Recipes

 

Grilled Pineapple with Coconut Whipped Cream via The Floating Kitchen

 

That chicken souvlaki reminds me of one of my all-time favorite meals, which I enjoyed at a hole-in-the-wall seaside taverna on a tiny Greek island. I’m hoping the recipe will enable me to make a return trip via my taste buds. Which of these recipes looks the yummiest to you? I really want to try them all! Maybe a seven course grill feast is in order…

♥ Mil

P.S. For more grilling goodness, check out these essential tools!

Margarita Madness: 10 Recipes for Cinco de Mayo

Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow, and that means one thing: ALL the margaritas! Jules and I love our holidays, and I’m especially enthusiastic about any holiday that aligns so perfectly with my passion for cocktails. Pineapple margs are my all-time fave, but in the interest of expanding my drinking horizons, I’ve rounded up 10 inventive margarita recipes that will take your Cinco de Mayo festivities to the next level. Made with everything from St. Germain to habanero peppers, these margs aren’t messing around. So pick a favorite below, round up some friends, and enjoy a batch of sweet, tart deliciousness. Salud!

Chili Lime Mango Margarita via Minimalist Baker

 

Prickly Pear Margarita via Design Darling

 

St. Germain Margarita via Freutcake

 

Spicy Grapefruit Margarita via Half Baked Harvest

 

Blackberry Margarita Granita via Sugar and Cloth

 

Habanero Pineapple Margarita via So Munch Love

 

Coconut Creamsicle Margarita via How Sweet It Is

 

Roasted Strawberry Margarita via A Happy Food Dance

 

Vanilla Pineapple Margarita via Pineapple and Coconut

 

Frozen Margarita with a Sangria Swirl via Virtually Homemade

 

I can’t resist a frozen marg, and that sangria swirl looks amazing! As does the chili lime mango…but I think the prickly pear margarita might be the prettiest. Which marg is calling your name?

♥ Mil