Fresh Strawberry Pie

For the crust (this can be done 1 day ahead):
Preheat oven to 475ºF.

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour and salt. Cut in the shortening with a pastry blender or a fork. Add just enough ice water to moisten the dough so that it holds together.

Roll out the dough and transfer to a 9-inch pie pan.(I like to roll out the dough between two pieces of wax paper. This makes it easier to transfer the dough to the pie pan, and it keeps the dough from sticking to the rolling pin.) Crimp the edges of the crust, and prick the inside all over with a fork.

Bake for 8-10 minutes. The crust will not brown significantly. Let the crust cool completely while you make the rest of the pie.

For the pie filling:
Hull the strawberries and quarter them. Cut out any bad bits or unripe spots. The berries are the star of the pie, so you want them to look nice. Place the berries in a larger bowl and set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Set aside.

In a saucepan, add 2/3 cup water and 1/2 cup of the berries. Mash the berries a bit, and simmer them for 3 minutes. Add the sugar mixture, lemon juice, and remaining 1/3 cup water. Stir, breaking up any lumps. Simmer this for about 1 minute, until thick. (You can add red food coloring here if you choose.) Let the mixture cool for 5 minutes.

When cooled slightly, stir in the strawberries. Pour the mixture into the baked and completely cooled pie shell, and refrigerate for 4 hours, until set. (The chilling step is crucial. If you neglect it, you’ll have strawberry goop—yummy goop, but goop nonetheless.)