6 cups firm ripe strawberries
1 9-inch pastry pie crust, baked and cooled
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbs sugar
3 tbs cornstarch
2 tbs cold water
1 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 cup heavy cream

Pick over the berries carefully, removing the stems and hulls. Wash in a sieve or colander under cold running water and place on paper towels to drain. Pat the berries completely dry. Arrange half of them (the most perfect ones) in the pie shell and set aside. Coarsely chop the remaining berries and combine them with 1/2 cup sugar in a stainless steel saucepan. Bring the berries to a simmer over moderate heat, stirring occasionally. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch, water, and lemon juice together to form a smooth paste. Pour the paste into the strawberry mixture, stirring constantly, and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes, until the mixture thickens. Puree the strawberry mixture through a fine
mesh sieve, pressing down hard with a wooden spoon or spatula to extract as much of the berries as possible before discarding the seeds. Taste the puree and add more lemon juice or sugar, as desired. Pour the puree over the berries and spread it evenly with a rubber spatula. Cover the pie loosely with aluminum foil or wax paper and refrigerate for at least two hours. Just before serving whip the cream and 1 tbs sugar until it is stiff. Spread on top of the pie, making decorative swirls with the spatula and serve immediately.

Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe submitted by Thunderbird