June is a special month for me: memories of my father and his lovely floribunda roses, one of which I placed in his lapel every morning before he left for work; a time of celebration for a husband’s and son’s shared birthday; and strawberry season!
My mother and aunts and two young sons and I looked forward every June to picking our own strawberries. Our favorite place was Strites Orchard, a farm market on the outskirts of Harrisburg. We always tried to be among the “first pickers” to get the cream of the crop. This translated into getting the largest berries on the bushes, often the size of golf balls.
We would head out into the fields with our berry baskets, which, in those days, we were permitted to completely fill rather than pay by the pound. So, when all our baskets were overflowing, we would gingerly take them home, eating as many as we could that were tumbling out the sides.
These “homegrown” strawberries, with rare exception, bear no resemblance to the plastic-encased supermarket variety. Varying between bright red and a deep wine color, depending on variety, these fruits were bursting with juice and sweetness. My first strawberry “chore” in those days was to make jam—a wonderful freezer jam that we ate all year long. Because it wasn’t cooked, this jam remained bright crimson in color and tasted just like fresh summer strawberries month after month.
Another tradition for me was (and still is) the annual strawberry pie. It is not a fancy dessert, and it is not hard to make. The recipe calls for a baked pie shell. I have always made my own piecrust, and that is not hard to do either. But, for this pie, you can use a regular, pre-made piecrust from the grocery store or even a graham cracker crust, both of which shorten your preparation time. The smell of strawberries and sugar bubbling on the stove on a June afternoon always stirs wonderful memories for me.
Ingredients
- One 9-inch baked pie shell (cooled if homemade)
- 6 cups fresh, ripe local strawberries (about 1 ½ quarts washed and stems removed)
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 package (3 ounces) cream cheese (I usually use 2 packages)
Recipe
- Mash enough berries to measure 1 cup.
- Mix sugar and cornstarch in a 1 quart saucepan.
- Stir in water and mashed strawberries gradually (I use a wooden spoon).
- Cook on medium heat until the mixture thickens and boils. Lower the heat to prevent scorching if necessary. Boil and stir for 1 minute, then remove from the heat and let cool.
- Beat cream cheese in a small bowl until smooth (I use a wooden spoon for this also, no need for a mixer).
- Spread the cream cheese over the bottom of the pie shell.
- Top the cheese with the remaining whole berries. Stand the berries upright. (It works well to place the larger berries around the outside of the pie shell and end with the smaller berries in the center.)
- Pour the cooled cooked berries over the pie, spreading the mixture with a spatula.
- Refrigerate until the top of the pie is set, at least 3 hours.
When ready, cut the pie into slices and garnish with a little sprig of mint if you like. The pie is wonderful on its own and needs no whipped cream or ice cream on top.
My little boys are all grown up, and no one seems to want to eat jam anymore, strawberry or otherwise. But this pie is a summer treasure. I hope it will become a favorite of yours as well.
