BBQ JUNKIE

For me it wouldn't be Memorial Day weekend without grilling out. For most Americans this is the official kick-off of Barbeque season. So get ready to warm up the coals, pull out the cooler, and create a summer spread of grilled meats, summer salads, side dishes, and of course pie!

BERRY GOOD

You'll love the simplicity of this old-fashioned strawberry pie. With its delicious summery taste, this fruit pie is perfect for any occasion. Strawberries derived their name from an old-age custom of putting straw beneath the berries when they began to ripen, which helps to keep them moist and clean for picking.

Old-fashioned Strawberry Pie

1 recipe pastry for a 9-inch single crust pie

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons butter

1 pinch ground nutmeg

4 cups fresh strawberries, hulled

1/2 cup white sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. Place a drip pan on lowest shelf to catch pie juices.
2. To make Topping: in a medium bowl, mix until fluffy the 3/4 cup sugar, 3/4 cup flour, butter, and nutmeg.
3. Place cleaned strawberries in a deep bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together the 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup flour, and cornstarch. Gently coat berries with this mixture; be careful not to crush berries.
4. Pour berries into prepared pie crust mounding them in the middle; mounding is necessary as the berries will sink as they bake. Cover berries with crumb topping and top crumbs with about 15 pea-sized blobs of butter. Wrap edges of pie crust with foil to prevent burning.
5. Bake pie in preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 375° F and bake for an additional 40 minutes. When there are 10 minutes left of baking, sprinkle a little extra sugar over crumb topping and then finish baking.