Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

It is not hard to find rhubarb recipes right now, on blogs, recipe sites and on Pinterest. Many pair the tart, sour rhubarb with sweet succulent strawberries, and for good reason. It is a classic taste of late spring/early summer, and also suggests a relaxed, sunny country-setting in which to enjoy a big slice of pie.

On a recent trip to the grocery finding the rhubarb itself was hard, and getting out of the store with it even more so. After striking out a one local grocery, I checked a second. (Why didn’t I just go to the farmer’s market?) An enormous display of gleaming boxes of strawberries greeted me as I walked in, but there was no rhubarb in sight. After ten minutes of scouring the produce section, I finally found a few a few pieces of rhubarb tucked way in the back. Near the kale.  

When I took the rhubarb to the checkout two stunned cashiers stared at the blushing stalks. I should have offered my help immediately but I guess I was feeling a little cruel that day. I waited with a smile to see if they would figure it out. The two women studied it in vain, and spun the little produce cheat-sheet cylinder bolted above the register in hopes that something logical would jump out at them. Finally with an eyeroll they turned to me to ask what it was. I told them. And then I had to spell it. Twice. More eyerolls. I tried to explain how wonderful it tastes when combined with fresh strawberries in a pie, but they were not impressed. Eyeroll.

Though rhubarb was clearly not a favorite at this local grocery store it had a decent showing in my informal pie poll.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie is a favorite of: 

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:

• Chilled Buttery Pastry Dough for a two-crust pie (click for recipe)
• 3 cups chopped rhubarb (about 4 stalks, washed, ends trimmed off and cut into 1-inch pieces)
• 3 cups strawberries, washed, hulled and cut into 1″ pieces
• 1 cup granulated sugar, plus more to dust top of pie
• 1/4-cup  cornstarch
• 1/4-cup honey
• 6 tablespoons water, divided
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. Unwrap disk of dough (one half of the Buttery Pastry Dough recipe) onto a lightly floured surface and roll out to about ¼-inch thickness. Cut out a 13-inch diameter circle from the dough. Wrap and save the scraps for another use. Lightly fold the dough circle over in half and then in half again, and then place it in 9-inch pie plate with the point of the triangle in the center. Unfold the dough to fit the pie plate, lifting the dough gently to position it and not stretching it. Trim the overhang to about 1-1/2″.  Lay a sheet of plastic wrap over the dough and put the dish into the fridge.
2. In a large bowl, combine the cut rhubarb and cut strawberries in a large bowl. Add the granulated sugar, cornstarch, honey and two tablespoons of the water. Stir to combine the ingredients. Set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. If using a glass pie dish move the rack to the lower half of the oven; for a metal pie pan have a rack ready in the center.
4. Take the dish with pie shell from the fridge and pour the rhubarb-strawberry mixture into the shell.
5. Remove the other half of the Buttery Pastry Dough from the fridge and roll out on a lightly floured surface to roughly 13-inch diameter circle, about ¼-inch thick. Cut out decorative shapes from the dough for venting if desired. Lightly fold the dough over in half and then in half again. Position the point of the triangle in the center of the pie and unfold the dough to fit over the top of the pie. Trim the edges of the top crust to be just slightly larger than the bottom overhang. Roll both the lower and upper crust edges under, all around the pie to make a thick edge. Crimp the edge all around. (If you did not make decorative cutouts in the dough, then cut a few slits in the top crust for venting.)
6. In a small bowl, beat together the egg and the remaining 4 tablespoons of water. Brush the mixture over the top crust using a pastry brush. Sprinkle granulated sugar over the entire top.
7. Bake for 15 minutes at 400 degrees F. Then reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and bake for another 45 minutes, until crust has browned and filling is bubbling. Remove to a cooling rack. Allow to cool before slicing.

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