Strawberry Fields Forever

This is going to be a wordy post, so I disclaim ahead of time. I ran into a friend at the park the other day who had read the blog and asked what I think about Frobergs.

Have you froberged?? It's a great day trip, but quick!! you really need to go now before summer heat sets in. Go now, go tomorrow, go next weekend, but go early.

Open 9-6 most days of the week (call ahead), this pick your own farm only 40 minutes south of houston is worth a trip. You pay buy the weight, great photo op for easter photos, and there's a country store with produce and pies.

But what are you going to do with ten pounds of strawberries, don't worry, I have a plan.

A friend who was raised in rural Illinois, with a pie bakin' mom gave me this recipe. If you're feeling like having a party, make a bunch of pies, OR even better, just used the "filling" part of the recipe as a dip and just put out a basket of strawberries.

If that's too sophisticated for you, spread the "filling" on top of the hulled (stem removed) berry, throw two chocolate chips on for eyes, a red m and m for a mouth, and you're got yourself kid sized snacks.

Here's the recipe : I'm not gonna lie, I buy a pillsbury graham cracker pie crust. I'm sly like that.

STRAWBERRY ALMOND CREAM TART
Prepare the crust and filling up to two days ahead
Assemble below on the morning of your brunch
*you will have extra glaze, so serve it on top of vanilla ice cream or save for later with pound cake

CRUST
36 honey graham crackers
2TBL Sugar
2 TBL melted butter
4 teaspoons water
Cooking spray

FILLING
2/3 cup light plain cream cheese
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract

TOPPINGS
6 cups small fresh strawberries, divided
2/3 CUP sugar
1 TBL cornstarch
1 TBL lemon juice
2 TBL slice almonds toasted

Preheat oven to 350

Prepare crust (seriously, just buy it, but if you're a traditionalist, here you go). Place crackers in a food processor and process until crumbly. Add 2 TBL sugar, butter and water. Pulse until moist. Place mix in a 9 in round removable bottom tart pan coated with cooking spracy pressing into the bottom and up sites of pan to 3/4 in thick. Bake at 350 for 10 min until lightly browned and cook completely on a wire rack (have I convinced you to buy the crust yet??)

To prepare filling comnbine cream cheese, 1/4 Cup sugar and extracts into a bowl and stir until smooth. Spread evenly over bottom of the tart shell.

To prepare topping place two cups strawberries into food processor and puree. Combine this puree with 2/3 Cup sugar and cornstarch in small saucepan over heat, stirring with a whisk, bring to a boil and stir constantly, reduce heat from med to low and cool to room temp stirring occasionally.

Combine 4 cups strawberries and juice of lemon, toss to coat. Arrange berries, bottoms up in a circular pattern over filling. Spoon half the glaze evenly over berries, save the rest for the ice cream. Spring toasted nust around edge. Cover and chill 3 hours.

go to http://www.frobergsfarm.com/ for more info

If you're not close by or feeling farmy somewhere else http://www.pickyourown.org/ is a great resource.

Enjoy!!