We pick our greens from a local farm for a salad and some meat from another local farm. And for dessert? Well, fruit isn't in season in Connecticut yet, but there are fresh in-season strawberries available in the grocery store. So, this tasty Strawberry Cheesecake Pie makes a perfect springtime recipe. This pie is sweet and plate-licking good, and would make a great party cake. Even better, it's a no-bake cheesecake, so it takes only a short time to whip together before tossing in the fridge to chill. Easy-peasy.

Ingredients

• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2/3 cup sugar, divided
• 1 premade graham cracker pie crust

• 4 cups small strawberries, divided
• ½ tablespoon cornstarch
• ½ tablespoon lemon juice

Instructions

1.
In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese, vanilla extract, and 1/3 cup of sugar. For best results, push the cream cheese into the sugar with the back of the spoon a few times before outright stirring. The mixture should be smooth and light when complete.

2.
Spoon the cream cheese mixture into the graham pie shell. Use a rubber spatula to gently spread it into a thin layer. Be cautious, the graham shell is fragile, so you really need to have a light touch.
3.
Slice off the tops of the strawberries, leaving a clean, straight cut at the top.
4.
Place one cup of berries in the food processor and process until smooth.
5.
Transfer the processed berries to a small saucepan and whisk in the remaining 1/3 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture comes to a bowl. Reduce heat to low and cook for 1 minute, stirring.

6.
Remove the strawberry mixture from heat, and let sit for 30 minutes or so,until mixture comes to room temperature. Stir it a few times while it's cooling to release the heat at the center of the mixture.
7.
Using the remaining three cups of strawberries, arrange them on top of the cream cheese mixture, cut sides down. Discard any remaining lemon juice that's left in the bowl.

8.
Once the pureed strawberry mixture is completely cooled, pour it over the strawberries, using a spoon to ensure that each berry gets coated. Pour any remaining puree in to cover any exposed cream cheese.
9.
Cover the pie and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

Tips

• Look for small strawberries that are roughly an inch tall. These will allow you to have more berries on your pie.