Strawberry Rhubarb Pie -- The Pie That Tastes Like Early Summer in Iowa

The Fourth of July is next week and I'm already in production mode. I need to feed at least fifteen people — our family, Kevin's brother Craig's family from Omaha, Kevin's parents, Mom and Dad. The menu is set: pork tenderloin sandwiches (obviously), baked beans, coleslaw, corn on the cob (from the farmers' market — Jack's corn isn't ready yet), watermelon, and two kinds of pie. I started a grocery list Monday morning. It's on its third draft. Kevin said it looks like a logistics plan for a military operation. I said feeding fifteen people IS a military operation. He didn't argue.

Jack's backyard corn is five feet tall. Five feet. In a suburban backyard. The neighbor kid, Marcus — Jack's kindergarten friend, the one who also likes dirt — came over and they stood between the corn rows and the corn was taller than both of them and they looked like farm kids, like children from a photograph of Iowa in 1950, two boys in a cornfield with dirty knees and big eyes. Except the cornfield is twenty feet long and the farm is a memory and the boys are suburban kindergartners who happen to speak fluent agriculture. Details.

I made a strawberry rhubarb pie this week from rhubarb that the Petersons grew in their yard. Karen brought over two pounds of rhubarb and said, "I don't know what to do with this." I said, "I do." Rhubarb pie — or in this case, strawberry rhubarb — is the only pie that uses a vegetable disguised as a fruit, cooked with enough sugar to make it edible and combined with strawberries to make it lovable. The filling is tart and sweet and pink, and the crust is Mom's recipe, butter and flour and ice water, and the result is a pie that tastes like early summer in Iowa, which is when rhubarb peaks and everything is possible.

Kevin finished fixing the gutter. I need to record this for posterity. Eighteen months after we moved in, the south gutter has been repaired. I made him a thank-you dinner of chicken fried steak, which is reserved for special occasions, and this — this was special. Kevin Holloway fixed the gutter. Alert the media. Frame the receipt. The gutter era is over.

So that’s the pie I’m talking about — the one that came from Karen Peterson’s rhubarb and a flat of strawberries from the farmers’ market and Mom’s crust recipe that I’ve been making since I was old enough to hold a rolling pin. It’s already on the Fourth of July menu (pie number one of two, for those keeping score on the logistics plan), and if your neighbor shows up with two pounds of rhubarb and a look of confusion, this is what you do with it. Here’s the recipe.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Prep Time: 30 minutes | Cook Time: 55 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes (plus cooling) | Servings: 8

Ingredients

For the crust:

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into small cubes
• 6-8 tablespoons ice water

For the filling:

• 2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 2 cups fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Pinch of salt

For the egg wash:

• 1 large egg, beaten
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 tablespoon coarse sugar, for sprinkling

Instructions

1. Make the crust. Whisk together flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Add the cold butter cubes and cut in with a pastry cutter or your fingers until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Drizzle in ice water one tablespoon at a time, mixing gently with a fork until the dough just comes together. Divide the dough in half, shape each half into a flat disc, wrap in plastic, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
2. Prepare the filling. In a large bowl, toss the rhubarb and strawberries together. Add the sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, vanilla, and salt. Stir gently until everything is well combined. Let it sit for about 10 minutes while you roll out the crust.
3. Roll out the bottom crust. On a lightly floured surface, roll one disc of dough into a 12-inch circle. Carefully transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish, pressing it gently into the bottom and sides. Trim any excess dough, leaving about a 1/2-inch overhang.
4. Fill the pie. Pour the strawberry rhubarb filling into the prepared crust, spreading it evenly.
5. Add the top crust. Roll out the second disc of dough into a 12-inch circle. Place it over the filling. You can leave it as a full top crust or cut it into strips for a lattice. Trim and crimp the edges to seal. If using a full top crust, cut several small slits in the top to let steam escape.
6. Apply the egg wash. Whisk together the egg and water. Brush the top crust lightly with the egg wash and sprinkle with coarse sugar.
7. Bake. Place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet (to catch drips) and bake at 400°F for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 350°F and continue baking for 35-40 minutes, until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling through the slits. If the edges brown too quickly, cover them with foil or a pie shield.
8. Cool completely. Let the pie cool on a wire rack for at least 2 hours before slicing. This lets the filling set so it holds together when you cut it. Patience is hard, but it matters.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 410 | Protein: 5g | Fat: 23g | Carbs: 48g | Fiber: 2g | Sodium: 310mg