Strawberry Pistachio Crisp

I don't believe in doing anything half-assed. So, when I hear the quote "Done is better than perfect" I visibly cringe. For me, things aren't worth doing unless you do them right.  None of us have time for me to explain just how long it takes for me to complete a blog post. How many hours I spend researching and developing recipes. The hundreds of photos I take of each step in the recipe process. Or the ungodly amount of time I spend baking, styling and shooting the final product. Don't get me started on my photo editing methods or ask how many days it takes me to compose the story I write for each and every post. You would all think I am a completely obsessive nutjob with a penchant for perfection. And guess what, you'd probably be right.  I shot the recipe for this Strawberry Pistachio Crisp at least 5 weeks ago and haven't been able to think of anything clever to write about it. And here I am, weeks later, still struggling with nothing of much importance to say other than - "Done is better than perfect". But uhhh, I can't get down with that logic. However, I recently heard a modified version of that quote that actually resonated with me, which is surprising because I'm not a big fan of quotes. (Can you tell?) "Interesting is better than perfect." Now that piqued my interest. I could never choose being done over perfection, because to me something isn't finished until it's just right. But, just right doesn't necessarily mean perfection. Striking that balance of interesting, perfection and finality isn't easy. There is beauty in the process, though. We aren't creating just to be done with something. We create to find our own interesting version of perfection. I strive to create recipes and images that will draw you in because of, and in spite of, their interesting quirks and imperfections. Maybe interesting is perfection in a sense? I'm not sure, but I do know that "done is better than perfect" does not apply to me. So, let's keep it interesting, shall we? Take this recipe for Strawberry Pistachio Crisp for example, it's far from perfect. The strawberries are literally a hot mess. I wanted to reshoot because the images didn't turn out quite as sharp as I'd hoped, and the original recipe needed a couple of tweaks before it was ready to share. This Strawberry Pistachio Crisp recipe is an example of choosing your battles between perfection and conclusion. On one hand, I finished the shoot and could have called it good enough, stamped it done and posted it up on bakingthegoods.com. But, it wasn't perfectly tuned yet. The recipe needed some adjustment. So, I tested again and made modifications to get this recipe for Strawberry Pistachio Crisp closer to perfection. Normally, I'd reshoot because the images weren't quite what I'd envisioned. But instead, I let it go. I let go of achieving that perfect photo and let it be interesting. Things are sloppy and not as pretty as I'd hoped, but the flavors and textures are balanced and undeniably delicious.  Since it's only March and there is still a nip in the spring air, this warm, baked Strawberry Pistachio Crisp is the perfect dessert to spring forward into springtime. Made with early season strawberries, the naturally jammy sweetness is enhanced with the zest and juice of a lemon and a flowery splash of St. Germain. The crumbly oat topping is like a light jacket on a crisp and sunny spring day, with a warming hint of ginger and toasty, crunchy pistachios. The Strawberry Pistachio Crisp is topped with an elegantly elderflower flavored, St. Germain whipped cream that really brings the spring. While this recipe for Strawberry Pistachio Crisp may not be perfection, I do hope it's interesting enough to get you in the kitchen and baking.

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