Strawberries

I had a little outfit when I was about 8 years old- a pair of shorts and a tank top with three strawberries across the chest. I called it- My Strawberry Outfit. And, I had big plans for this outfit. On my first day of summer vacation, I was going to wear it strawberry picking. Ah...poor ALP Farms had no idea that my 40 pound self could eat so many strawberries. Honestly, they should have weighed me coming in and going out and charged my mother accordingly.

Anyway, I took my own dear children strawberry picking last Saturday, over to Duysson's in LeRoy. I must recommend it. The farm, not the taking of children. However, I now appreciate that mom took me strawberry picking. It is not as joyous for the mommy as it is for the little strawberry party animals. I take it that Cade enjoys strawberries as much as his mommy, because, as Hanna put it, "He looks like a crazed little strawberry murderer." His red mouth and hands, and the red juices dripping from his chin and finger tips really were a little disturbing.
Since then, I can't recall how many times I have had to say, "No more strawberries!" I feel like a mom in a bedtime story for pre-readers, the amount of times I have repeated myself word for word. He's a naughty little pilferer of strawberries. He's sneaky. He's persistant. Everytime I prepare a strawberry recipe, he's there. Lurking.

Anyway.
Here are the recipes.

Number one, Strawberry Jam, go here: http://cincinnatilocavore.blogspot.com/2008/06/strawberry-preserves-no-pectin-recipe.html
I pretty much followed those directions.

Number two, Strawberry Rhubarb Pie:

INGREDIENTS
1 egg
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 pound fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
12 oz. fresh strawberries, halved
1 (9 inch) unbaked pie shell

TOPPING:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup quick-cooking or rolled oats
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ stick cold butter

DIRECTIONS
1. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg. Add the sugar, flour, corn starch and vanilla; mix well. Gently fold in rhubarb and strawberries. Pour into pastry shell.
2. For topping, combine flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and oats in a small bowl; cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over fruit. Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F bake for 35 minutes or until golden brown and bubbly. Cool on a wire rack.

Yum.

XOXO
Joce

Oh, yeah, you probably want my pie crust recipe, too. Fine. Here it is.
2 cups flour
2 teaspooons sugar
pinch salt
2/3 cup oil
3 Tablespoons milk
Mix it up in the pie plate and shape into crust. No rolling. Easy Squeezy.

And, some updated photos of the fam: