Well folks — you guessed it! Today, June 9th, is National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day. Don’t tell me that you forgot! I know, I know rhubarb is a take it or leave it kind of food (vegetable to be exact). But, today I’m here to make you a believer in rhubarb.
Confession: I don’t think I have eaten rhubarb in 20 years…. since my Grandma used to make strawberry rhubarb jam. However, my husband and I were surprised when two bunches of rhubarb popped up in our landscaping at our new house this spring. So, I put in motion a plan to use the rhubarb at least once this year. In honor of the aforementioned holiday, I channeled my inner-Grandma Evie and whipped together a delicious crumb-topped strawberry rhubarb pie. Here are the details:
Crust:
1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 stick of butter diced then chilled in a freezer for 10 minutes
1/4 cup of ice water
Mix flour and salt in a a food processor. Add butter and pulse until mixture resembles course crumbs. Add water, a tablespoon at a time and pulse briefly each time. Mixture should stick together when pressed between fingers. Quickly mold into a disk and wrap in plastic. Refrigerate for at least one hour or overnight.
Filling:
2 cups fresh rhubarb, 1/2 inch dice (about 4 stalks)
3 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and halved
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and the orange zest together in a large bowl. With a fork, mix cornstarch and orange juice. Mix the orange juice mixture in with the fruit.
Topping:
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
6 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
In a bowl, mix brown sugar, flour and oats together. Using a pastry cutter, mix in butter until the mixture makes crumbles.
Assembly:
Remove pie crust from refrigerator. On a well-floured surface, roll out crust using a floured rolling pin. The recipe makes a 9 inch pie crust. Once it reaches the desired size, place into a pie pan with excess crust draped over the sides. Pour fruit mixture into the pie crust. Sprinkle the topping over the fruit, covering it completely. Trim the crust to 1/2 inch below the edge of the pie plate, then tuck under itself. Use a fork or fingers to crimp the edge of the pie crust. Bake for 50 minutes. Allow the pie to cool slightly. Serve the pie warm with vanilla ice cream.
Enjoy!