Strawberry Pie

My husband was on his normal Sunday morning bike ride today so Kayleigh and I took my parents to the Munster farmer's market so they could try the vegan food truck.  It was even better than last week.  Unfortunately I forgot to take pictures of the food but Kayleigh got a chocolate chip waffle, the rest of us got brats with kraut and we all shared some nachos.  It was all very good.  Before we left we stopped back to get some oreo cheesecake to take home. 

 My parents listening in while I order cheesecake

 
There was more produce at the market this time.  We were able to get kale, romaine, green onions, and radishes.  We also walked around the park so my parents could check everything out. 

Kayleigh and my parents on the bridge

 
Then we came home and ate not only the cheesecake but also this strawberry pie that I had made.  I came up with the idea for this recipe a couple years ago while waiting in the car for Kayleigh after practice.  Luckily there was a spare envelope hanging around for me to write on!

I think a lot of people are intimidated by pie crust but I am here to tell you it is actually very easy.  It does not need to be perfect, it will still taste good.  I gather up all my confidence, flip it into the pie pan and then take some extra off here and press it in there until the whole pan is basically covered.  No stress required!  My pie crust recipe makes 2 crusts but you only need one for this recipe so wrap the other half in wax paper and then in a Ziploc and store it in the freezer (or the refrigerator if you are planning to make another pie right away).

Strawberry Pie

Pie crust:
2 2/3 cup flour
1 tsp salt
3/4 cup oil
6 tablespoons non-dairy milk

Mix together the flour and salt.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the oil and milk.  Add to the flour mixture and stir with a fork.  Cut in half and roll the crust between wax paper.

Place the pie crust in the pie plate.  Pierce several times with a fork.  Place foil loosely over the crust and fill with dry beans.  Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned. 

Remove the foil from the crust and let cool slightly. 

For the pie you will need:
1 quart (1 1/2 pounds) strawberries
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water

Place half the strawberries on the pie crust.  If they are large, cut them in half.

Put the remaining strawberries in a saucepan.  Add the sugar and bring to a boil.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water.  Add to the strawberries.  Stir often.  When the mixture is thick and clear (about 2-3 minutes) remove from heat. 

Pour this mixture over the strawberries in the crust.  Place in refrigerator for several hours.

Here are some more pictures of the process.

 Rolling out the dough between wax paper

 See how uneven it is when I first flip it into the pan?

 Poke holes in the bottom crust.

 Foil and beans for blind bake.

 Half the strawberries in the bottom.

 Cloudy mixture.

 A couple minutes later it is clear.