My Grandma Marce (who just celebrated her 88th Birthday in December and her 67th Mother's Day on Sunday) first introduced me to pie baking. She is a very talented baker and can take any fruit and turn it into a pie, like magic. I remember cooking with her and that she always took the time to explain the process, and let me help with little jobs like rolling out the dough, or adding sugar to the fruit.
During her summer visits to Alaska she would make strawberry rhubarb pie using the rhubarb in our yard. It was one of my favorite desserts growing up, and thanks to her, it still is.
Strawberries and rhubarb: a partnership to go down in the books
pie and ice cream: another good combination
FOR THE CRUST:
2 2⁄3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2⁄3 cup vegetable oil
6 tbsp. cold milk
FOR THE FILLING:
1 1⁄4 cups plus 2 tsp. sugar
1⁄4 cup corn starch
1⁄4 tsp. ground nutmeg
1⁄4 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups thinly sliced rhubarb
3 cups halved and hulled strawberries
2 tbsp. butter, cut into small pieces
2 tsp. milk
1. Preheat oven to 400°. For the crust: Sift together flour and salt into a mixing bowl. Measure oil into a measuring cup, then add milk, but don't stir together. Pour oil and milk into flour mixture. Stir until dough just holds together. Divide dough in half, shape into 2 balls, and flatten slightly. Roll out each ball between two sheets of wax paper into 12" rounds. Transfer one pastry round (discarding wax paper) into a 9" pie plate, and set other pastry round aside.
2. For the filling: Mix together 1 1⁄4 cups of the sugar, corn starch, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a large mixing bowl, then add rhubarb and strawberries, tossing well to coat evenly.
3. Fill bottom crust with rhubarb–strawberry mixture and scatter butter on top. Cover with remaining pastry round (discarding wax paper) and crimp edges together to seal. Score top to allow steam to escape, brush with milk, and sprinkle with remaining 2 tsp. sugar. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake until crust is golden and filling is bubbling, about 50 minutes. If edge of crust browns too quickly, cover edge with a strip of aluminum foil to prevent burning. Allow pie to cool for 1 hour before serving.
SERVES 8
