Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie-- made in the nick of time!

Strawberry-Rhubarb is a combination that I often see in Blogosphere.  I have no idea why, but I haven't made this type of pie in years-- many, many years.  I love to shop at "The Farm", which is located off Highway 68 in Salinas, California.  Sarah is an added bonus to my frequent visits, because she goes out of her way to make sure that I get the freshest ingredients from their organic farm.  On a whim, I asked Sarah if she had any rhubarb.

"How much do you need?" she asked.

"I dunno.  Enough for a pie?" I answer.

Sarah disappeared for a good ten minutes. I'm fine with that, as I sit outside and enjoy the view of their fields, with the backdrop of the Salinas mountains.  I hear her calling my name-- she has literally gone out into the field to pick the last of the rhubarb-- because the season is pretty much over.  What a gal!  I happily pay for the rhubarb and organic strawberries, at half price, since it's the end of the day.  I've gotten a bargain, because these are the sweetest and best tasting strawberries in town. Light is disappearing, so I hurry home to make a pie...per my son's request. My husband, on the other hand, doesn't seem excited to eat rhubarb. I'll show him....

Earlier in the day, I had made another batch of Ina Garten's Pie crust.  If you would like to see how to make this click here.

Did you know that rhubarb is related to the buckwheat family?  It's a hard flavor to describe, as I take a bite.  I'm undecided if I'm going to like this pie, myself.

 
I decide to use sugar, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg and allspice.  I use Clearjel (King Arthur Flour, online) as my thickener, but you can use tapioca or cornstarch.  I add some fresh lemon juice, a few pats of butter and add the top pie crust. The "lattice" is fake, I admit. I have a Pie Lattice Cutter. 

Natural light is fading, as I place this into a 375F oven, for about 50 minutes.  I like to brush this with an egg wash and some coarse sugar.

I think that fruit pies should be allowed to cool for at least three hours. That way the filling can set and you won't have a mess.  Alas, it was dark outside, so I didn't photograph the pie.

TASTING NOTES  "Mr. I-only-eat-berry-pie Craig" liked the flavor combo a lot. Me?  I think that the blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice was just right.  The pie crust is tender and flavorful.  Of course, vanilla ice cream is a must. Next year, I need to buy rhubarb a little earlier in the season, though I think frozen rhubarb would work just as well.  In fact, I think this would be a perfect summer pie for the 4th of July weekend.

Even if you don't make Strawberry-Rhubarb pie, the pie crust is super delicious for any kind of pie.  While pie aficionados swear that one must use a pastry cutter I beg to differ.  With my food processor, I get tender and flaky crusts. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

The very next morning, Craig and I left for our trip to Napa, California.  My son polished off the pie, as I hastily took a few photos to share with you.

Homemade ice cream is chilling.  I'm off to see what Sarah recommends as vegetable side dishes. I'm making-- what else-- another pie, for our BBQ with the family.

Keep scrolling to find a printable recipe, from my kitchen to yours!

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Wishing all of you a safe and happy 4th of July,