Make a Dayton Lavender Sugar Strawberry Galette

*Disclaimer: This is for entertainment purposes only. I’m not an expert at anything and nothing you read in this article should be taken as medical or science advice. I’m just sharing a slice of how I’m coping with with the Parasite Summer.*

With the news about cyclospora parasites invading homes across the country (thanks, ludicrous budget cuts!), I decided to play it safe and find ways to cook all of the produce in my fridge, including a package of strawberries.

We aren’t big on dessert, but I had one last vegan pie crust sheet getting stale in my freezer anyway, so I had the idea to make a galette with the strawberries. I pulled out my stack of Edible Ohio Valley magazines and quickly found the perfect recipe inspo in their Fall 2025 issue.

The recipe for Lavender Berry Galette actually came from Cedar Ridge Trails, and it just so happens I’ve been there and bought a jar of their lavender-infused sugar. I still have plenty for this recipe so I got to work.

See my amazing visit to Cedar Ridge Trails to pick lavender.

I didn’t follow it to the letter because I don’t think I was using as much fruit, plus I vegan-ized it. Here’s about what I did.

Lavender Strawberry Galette to Hopefully Avoid Produce-born Parasites Until we Find Out What is Causing This Exciting New Epidemic*

Serves 6

Ingredients

Crust / Shell

1 vegan pie crust sheet (if frozen, set out before getting started so it will thaw in time to use it)

1 T or more flour to dust the counter/cutting board and rolling pin

1 T vegan butter, melted to brush on edges

1 t or more lavender sugar for sprinkling

Filling

1 lb container fresh strawberries, cleaned by hand mixing for about one minute in a vinegar bath, then rinsed thoroughly with clean water, and sliced 1/4” approximately – removing any bad parts and the stems (I have no idea how many cups this is – so sorry!)

1 T cornstarch

1-2 t lemon juice (I did closer to 2t because I wanted it to be more tart)

1/8-1/4 C Cedar Ridge Trails lavender sugar (based on how sweet you prefer your desserts – I kept it on the tart side of the sugar spectrum)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Mix your sliced strawberries with the sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch and set aside.
• Sprinkle flour on your counter, parchment paper, or cutting board – whatever surface you’re using to roll out the pie crust a bit, dust your rolling pin with some flour, too
• Lay the pie crust on the floured surface and roll to desired thinness and into whatever shape you’d like, then put it on the pan you’re cooking it on
• Pour the filling onto the crust and smooth it out into a flat-ish layer, leaving about an inch of crust filling-less all the way around
• Fold and pinch the the edges of pie crust around the filling, making sure to leave it as jagged and rustic looking as possible if you want it to look like mine
• Brush the folded edges of crust with the melted vegan butter and sprinkle with more lavender sugar
• Bake at 400 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, letting it have a little bit to cool when it’s done before cutting and serving

I cut this one into 6 pieces and it stored in a container in the fridge just fine for a couple days.

I served it the first night with a meal of produce-clearing recipes including fresh, homemade crushed tomato and kale pasta and roasted asparagus.

Somehow a little local lavender can make a pretty gross national situation a sweet, summery treat.

*I am not a medical professional, nor a scientist – just chronically online and stubbornly reluctant to throw out food. This does not constitute medical advice, make and eat this at your own risk.