Rhubarb is one of my favorites because it signals summer will soon follow. This very tart seasonal vegetable, botanically speaking, is eaten as a fruit. Look for crisp stalks that are brightly colored and blemish-free leaves. Refrigerate rhubarb until ready to use, then discard the poisonous leaves and follow the directions of the recipe. Or it freezes well for some later use.
My maternal grandfather drank a rhubarb tonic every spring. He claimed that it thinned his blood and quenched his thirst. Then he’d offer it “Here ... have some!”
After you taste mom’s strawberry rhubarb pie, you’ll be spoiled. Be sure to put a jellyroll pan under the pie plate, because it always boils over, creating a real sticky mess on the bottom of the oven. The rhubarb cream pie is a favorite of many Midwesterners and it was a typical dessert on the farm ... because eggs and milk were abundant. Bon appétit!
Mom’s Strawberry Rhubarb Pie(Serves 8)For the crust:2 cups all purpose flour
2/3 cup unsalted butter, cold
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg beaten
About 2 to 3 tablespoons ice waterFor the filling:3 cups fresh strawberries, washed, hulled and halved
3 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar or more to taste
3 tablespoons cornstarch
Grated zest of half an orange
1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into small piecesTo prepare:For the crust:Working in a food processor fitted with the stainless steel blade, add flour and salt and process two or three pulses.
Cut butter into tablespoon-size slices; add them to the flour and process until the mixture looks like coarse meal.
Transfer to a mixing bowl. Meanwhile, with a fork, whisk egg together with two tablespoons of water. Make a hole in the center of the flour, add egg/water and pull the liquid through the flour mixture, addding more water as necessary until the dough forms a ball.
Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.To fill and bake:Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
In a bowl, add strawberries, rhubarb, ginger, and mix well.
In another bowl, stir cornstarch and orange zest into the sugar, mix well, and combine with the fruit.
Stir well to blend. Taste and adjust the sweetness and set aside.
Divide the dough in half.
Roll out bottom crust on a pastry cloth.
Transfer the dough to the pie plate, leaving about one inch overhang of the dough around the edges.
Dot the bottom crust with half of the butter.
Spoon the fruit into the crust and dot the top with remaining butter.
Roll out remaining dough into strips for lattice or one whole top crust and place on top of fruit.
Seal the edges of the crust together and cut slits in the top for vent.
Seal and crimp the edges.
Set the pie plate on a jellyroll pan to catch the juices.
Place in preheated oven, reduce the heat to 400 degrees F, and bake until bubbly and thick and the crust is golden brown, about 40 to 50 minutes.
Cool at least 10 minutes before serving, best when served slightly warm with ice cream.Rhubarb “Cream” PieAdapted from “Food From An American Farm” By Janeen Sarlin, Simon and Shuster, 1991(Serves 8)Follow the recipe above for the crust.
For the filling:3 large eggs
3 tablespoons whole milk or half and half
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup all purpose flour
Grated zest of one lemon
Pinch of salt
4 cups pink rhubarb, cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch cubesTo prepare:For the crust, follow the previous recipe.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll out half of the dough into a large disc.
Transfer it to a nine or 10-inch pie plate, pressing dough into the plate, and leave an overhang of about one inch.
Roll out remaining dough and with a pastry wheel, cut several one-inch wide strips for lattice top.
Set the strips aside.For the filling:Working in a quart-measuring cup, add eggs and with a whisk stir in the milk and vanilla.
In a mixing bowl, whisk sugar, flour, lemon zest, and salt together and pour the egg/milk mixture into the center and mix well.
Fold rhubarb into the “custard” and pour it into the pie shell.
Artfully arrange lattice strips over the filling, crimp the edges of the crust together.
Place in preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 and bake until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35 to 40 minutes in total.
Cool on a rack.
Serve warm or cold.Grandad’s Rhubarb Tonic(Makes about one and one half pints)4 cups fresh red rhubarb, washed cut into 1/2 to 1 inch cubes
2 cups water
About 1 cup sugar or more to taste
2 slices fresh ginger the size of a quarter, peeledTo prepare:In a large saucepan over high heat, add rhubarb, water, sugar, and ginger.
Cover, and bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the rhubarb is soft and tender, about 20 minutes.
Taste and adjust the sweetness of the liquid, and if adding more sugar, stir until completely dissolved.
For a clear tonic, place a fine mesh strainer over a bowl and pour rhubarb and the juices into the strainer, discard the solids and cool the liquids and refrigerate.
OPTION: Working in batches, transfer rhubarb with some of the cooking juices into a blender and blend until smooth, and pour into glass container, taste and adjust sweetness, and refrigerate.
Drink as desired.
More Posts from Janeen Sarlin
