Refuel: Fresh Strawberry Pie

Justin and I spent our Sunday running the high desert of Precott, and although it was cooler than the Phoenix Valley, I was zapped by the sun and in need of all things refreshing post jog. We stopped by Cuppers before heading home to satiate our hunger with quiche and pancakes. If you haven't been there, it's the perfect homely cafe with healthy house made goods. It always seems to quench our hunger perfectly after a couple hours on the trails. If the weather is nice I recommend snagging a seat on the front porch and watching the passersby.

I know it's important to have a well balanced diet with protein and vegetables but I decided to swing to the left on this one and eat exactly what I was craving. Following instincts is a good thing right? When the temperature is just too damn hot to handle outside, the last thing I want is something out of the oven. So we made ourselves a fresh strawberry pie for dinner. The pie resulted in an sugar rush that had us dancing around the apartment for an hour in until our hyperactive high sent us plummeting into bed for the night.

Fresh Strawberry Pie
Adapted from The Gramercy Tavern Cookbook

7.5 Cups fresh strawberries, hulled and quartered
3/4 Cups sugar
1/4 Cup agar
1/8 Tsp salt
1 heaping Cup ground graham crackers
8 tablespoons butter, melted

In a saucepan combine the sugar, agar, salt and 1/3 Cup cold water. Which together and then add 3 cups of the strawberries and mash with a potato masher. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil for a full minute and then transfer mixture to a large bowl to let cool to room temperature. In the meantime, make the crust by pouring the melted butter of the ground graham crackers. Combine well until evenly moistened and lightly press the dough into a pie mold. Once the strawberry mixture is cooled, add the remaining strawberries and spoon everything into the pie mold. Place in fridge for 2 hours or overnight.