With a dozen pies to sample and deliberate over, it was hard for our judges to pick a winner but at this year’s UBC Farm Fall Fair the first place prize went to this delicious Strawberry Lavender pie from entrant Michael Annejohn! You can recreate the flavour at home with this recipe.

The Strawb-man Argument (Strawberry Lavender Pie)

Recipe

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 tsp dried or fresh lavender flowers
• 2/3 cup shortening
• 2 2/3 cups flour
• Ice water
• Salt
• 4 large Bartlett pears
• 1 jar strawberry jam (home made with local berries is best!)

Instructions

1. In double boiler, melt 1/2 cup butter. Add 2 tsp dried or fresh lavender flowers. Let simmer on low heat for 1/2 hour. Sift out flowers and chill butter well.
2. To form dough cut chilled lavender-butter, and 2/3 cups shortening into tiny cubes. Cut into 2 2/3 cups flour, adding a pinch of salt. Add ice water as necessary. Separate dough into 2 equal parts and chill at least 1 hour.
3. Form 1 ball of dough into circle for pie base. Place in pie pan. Cut 4 large Bartlett pears into pan. Mix 1 jar strawberry jam with enough water to make runny and pour over pears. Mix gently. Use second ball of dough to cover as desired.
4. Bake at 450 for 30 mins, and then at 350 for another 15-25 mins. Remove when crust is lightly browned and knife slides through pie easily.

Pick up produce at any of our three weekly markets: Tuesdays 4-6:30PM at the UBC Farm, Wednesdays 11:30AM-1:30PM at the UBC Bookstore, and Saturdays 10AM-2PM at UBC Farm. Learn more about our produce and browse other recipes in our Market Recipe Blog. Receive regular market recipes from our newsletter here.