Jam tomorrow, jam yesterday . . .

. . . but never ever jam today!

[if you haven’t experienced this gem of drug-induced hysteria, it’s a straight-to-TV musical adaptation of Alice in Wonderland that’s even trippier than the original]

Oh what to do? What to do? What to do when one scores an entire flat of strawberries [that’s TWELVE little green pint baskets] for a paltry $18 at the Civic Center farmer’s market? Sure, the lady at the stand called them “cosmetically challenged” and that was a bit of an understatement, but that’s what a paring knife is for!

All told, I ended up with more than enough for strawberry pie and maybe a bit of jam when the mood strikes. Throw in a little of this and a little of that [my cooking style is . . . freeform – if it feels right, it goes in] — sugar, cinnamon, lemon juice, coarsely chopped lemon peel, and cornstarch — stretch half a pie dough recipe into a bottom crust and some decorative latticework, pop it in the oven, and wait til the wafting scent of caramelizing strawberry syrup tells you it’s done.

Yeah, I wasn’t able to resist snagging a slice before the photoshoot this morning. And not to brag, but it was incredible. I’ve never made a strawberry-only pie, and don’t do many berry pies to begin with [too expensive!], so wasn’t sure how it would turn out. But the lemon peel added a delicious depth and touch of bitterness to balance out the sugar, there was enough cornstarch to thicken the juice without turning gooey, and the strawberries were fully cooked through while retaining their vibrant color and texture.

I’d offer you a taste but . . . The one disappointment? The pie was totally decimated by the shindig we hosted this evening. Guess I’ll just have to make another one.