Tags
local strawberries, strawberry picking in Geneva, strawberry pie recipe, strawberry season, things to do with children, things to do with kids
According to my local strawberry guy there’s a week left of strawberry picking at his field. This year seems long to me. I picked my first kilos in mid-May for jam, pie and eating. Then the rain hit which gave the plants time to reproduce and now they are back in full force with more flavor than before.
Finding farms where you can pick your own strawberries has become increasingly difficult. My favorite farm in Meinier closed several years ago but it seems the same people opened a new, smaller location in Gy. When I searched the internet (self-cueillette fraise Genève) I came up with only one more local farm which is in Meyrin, la Fraisière. Another place you can sometime purchase ripe local strawberries at a reduced price is the Union Maraïchère de Genéve near the M-Parc in Carouge.
Growing up, my mom made the best strawberry pie using my dad’s delicious crust. I’ve got to share her recipe. I think it came from a late 1970s Philadelphia Cream Cheese package. Since I don’t like spending a lot of time cooking, I use pre-made Pâte à Gateau crusts.
Here is my mom’s recipe translated loosely into the European weights system.
- 750 g. Strawberries
- 30 g. Cornstarch
- 230 g. sugar
- 125 ml. Water
- 1 package of Philadelphia Cream Cheese
Bake pie shell. Mash approximately 230 grams Strawberries. In a medium sauce pan, stir together corn starch and sugar. Gradually stir in water and crushed berries. Cook over medium heat stirring constantly until mixture thickens and boils. Let boil for 1 minute. Cool.
The recipe says beat cream cheese until smooth but I’m lazy and just spread it directly onto the cooked pie crust. Place remaining sliced strawberries over cream cheese. Then poor cooked strawberry mixture over top.
Chill for at least 3 hours.
The finished product!
Living In Geneva 