Strawberries on the rocks-with cucumber this time.

Seeing as how I declared it Strawberry Month at Half-Assed Vegetarian, you'd think I'd have posted more strawberry related recipes by now--but no. This 5% because I'm lazy and 95% because I keep drinking all of the strawberries before I can make non-alcoholic things with them. I've gone picking twice and baked once (and it was a no-bake pie). You do the math.
Here's a recipe for another delicious drink you can sip on while I go picking for a third time and come up with something else to write about. Bonus: This drink contains a fruit AND a vegetable,* so I'm pretty sure that means it's good for you. Do your body a great service and drink one (or four) today!

Photo by Shoot Me Pretty

Strawberry, Cucumber and Gin Cocktail

Here's What You're Gonna Need:
2-3 strawberries
2-3 slices of cucumber

1 jigger of gin (1.5ish oz or a shot and a half)
1/2 shot lime juice (1 oz)
1/2 shot agave (1 oz) (if you don't have agave, go with simple syrup)

club soda

And Here's What You're Gonna Do:

Put the strawberries and cucumber slices in the bottom of the shaker and muddle / smash the heck out of them. Go ahead and get some aggression out. I don't think you can over-muddle here.

Add gin, lime juice, agave and shake shake shake. If possible, let this stand for a few minutes so all of the flavors can really mix with the gin. If you can't hold off, then by all means, carry on immediately, but it'll be even more rockin' if you wait.

Add a couple of ice cubes to this good time and shake it vigorously again. Strain the resulting awesomeness over ice and top with club soda. Stir and drink up!

Warning: This drink is crazy good, really refreshing and doesn't taste very alcoholy, so watch it on the consumption buddy. Ol' Half-Assed Vegetarian learned this the hard/fun way.
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*Okay, technically a cucumber is a fruit, not a vegetable. Drink it anyway.
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Here's a very useful drink measurement chart I found: http://www.drinksmixer.com/guide/1-4-1.php
Just thought I'd share.

No Bake Strawberry Pie (aka Eat It With Your Face Strawberry Pie)

Here's What You're Gonna Need:

3/4 cup sugar
1 Tbs corn starch
2 TBS lemon juice
1 1/2 cups water

3 oz package of strawberry Jello

1 quart fresh strawberries, sliced (you really can't use frozen here-it'll fall apart)

1 baked pie crust (9 in deep or 10 in regular)

And Here's What You're Gonna Do:

Combine sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat, stir, and cook until it gets a little thick (5ish) minutes-keep stirring!

Add the jello and stir until it dissolves. Allow it all to cool at room temp.

When the filling has cooled, stir the strawberries in.


Filling goes in the crust, and the whole pie goes in the fridge to set for at least six hours or overnight.

When it's time to eat the pie...

Apply copious amounts of whipped cream.



And then eat with your face.


Now that's a happy ending.

Strawberries...on the rocks.

First things first. May is strawberry month here at Half-Assed Vegetarian, and what better way to kick it off than with a cocktail? We made this one when we get home from picking... and many times since. Come to think of it, I'm not sure I've been drinking anything else.

Strawberry, Basil & Gin Cocktail

(lightly modified from Monica's wonderful recipe at allrecipes.com)

Here's What You're Gonna Need:

2 strawberries (if they're still fresh, use some that got a little mushed along the way)
2 fresh basil leaves
1/2 pony jigger blue agave (I think that's about 1/2 oz) or teaspoons of white sugar
1 jigger gin (about 2 oz), our favorite is Quintessential gin
1 pony jigger fresh lemon juice (1 oz), optional
3 fluid ounces chilled club soda, or whatever tops your glass, but don't water this drink down too much--it's best if you can really taste the strawberries and basil.

And Here's What You're Gonna Do:

Put the strawberries and basil leaves in a cocktail shaker and muddle (smash) the heck out of them. You can't over do it here. If you're using white sugar instead of agave, muddle that, too.

If you're going with agave, add it now, along with the gin and lemon juice. Add ice to the shaker and shake shake shake. Again, you can't over do it with the shaking. The more you do it, the colder your drink is going to be.

Strain over ice, top with club soda, and stir. If you're fancy like my husband, you can add a little strawberry basil flair to the side of the glass. If you're just thirsty like me, drink up!

May is Strawberry Month at Half-Assed Vegetarian!

It's strawberry pickin' time, folks! Here are a few tips for how to get the most out of your strawberry picking experience.

1. Bring your children so you have someone to smash the strawberries. Make sure they are slathered in sunscreen and dressed in ridiculous outfits, preferably ones that will showcase strawberry stains.
2. Don't forget the jewlery.

3. Bring your own baskets. This way you can make sure they 1) match your outfit, and 2) are of the kind that the most conducive to stabbing and crushing your berries, as well as awkwardly shaped so as to maximize their tipping over capabilities.

4. Sample, sample, sample.

5. Take at least one horridly cheesy strawberry related photo.



Sort, but DO NOT WASH your berries as soon as you get home. The berries should go in three separate containers:

In good shape, slightly bruised so eat soon, and mortally wounded/stabbed and bleeding so use today or forever hold your peace. Line the bottom of the latter two containers with paper towels so the berries don't sit in their own berry goup. We'll deal with these three piles in the upcoming weeks, so get out there and pick some berries! Plus, send me your strawberry picking photos and I'll post them throughout the month.