There are certain things that go together like peanut butter and jelly, and there are so many jams to summer's peanut butter. Today is the first official day, but I've already been enjoying evening walks with ice cream, bbq and the beach, and meals outside. Summer is aviators with faded plaid, straw hats and long dresses, Popsicles and stained lips. Another perfect match to hot summer air, and cool summer nights is all of the fruit that is so very in season. I am a fruit fanatic, so I thrill at the juicy nectarines and peaches and vibrant melons. I want watermelon dripping to my elbow while I spit the seeds over the side of a picnic table.
To celebrate sun kissed faces, and beers over the charcoal Weber I thought I would share a recipe I found a few years ago in Domino Magazine. It is for raw strawberry pie. If that shouldn't be served in a park on red and white checks I don't know what should be. I have made it numerous times, and think it is delicious. Better yet, it is nutritious (no fooling) and no-bake. Here is the recipe I got off of their website.
The Ingredients:
2 lbs. fresh strawberries, tops removed, quartered
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon)
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups raw almonds
1 ¾ cups pitted dates
In a bowl, combine strawberries, lemon juice, vanilla and brown sugar. Mix well, and let sit while you make the crust. Place almonds in a blender or food processor and pulse on high until they resemble bread crumbs, about 1 minute. Empty into an oiled 9" pie plate. Put dates in blender with 1 tsp of water and pulse on high until well chopped, about 30 seconds (it's okay if they're a little clumpy). Combine almonds and dates until they hold together, then press evenly onto bottom and sides of pie plate to form crust. Using your hands or a slotted spoon, pile berries into the crust, discarding any remaining liquid. Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve.
2 lbs. fresh strawberries, tops removed, quartered
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about ½ of a lemon)
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
½ cup brown sugar
2 cups raw almonds
1 ¾ cups pitted dates
In a bowl, combine strawberries, lemon juice, vanilla and brown sugar. Mix well, and let sit while you make the crust. Place almonds in a blender or food processor and pulse on high until they resemble bread crumbs, about 1 minute. Empty into an oiled 9" pie plate. Put dates in blender with 1 tsp of water and pulse on high until well chopped, about 30 seconds (it's okay if they're a little clumpy). Combine almonds and dates until they hold together, then press evenly onto bottom and sides of pie plate to form crust. Using your hands or a slotted spoon, pile berries into the crust, discarding any remaining liquid. Refrigerate for 2 hours and serve.
So whether your picking the strawberries out of your backyard or grabbing a pint from Citarella, eating it on your porch steps, the beach or holed up in your apartment as your wall unit ticks on and off, I promise it won't disappoint. Enjoy!
