Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I am not a big dessert person. I don't have much of a sweet tooth. When it comes to dessert, I can usually take it or leave it, and in most cases, I leave it. Because of this, I don't bake a lot at home, and when I do, the desserts tend to straddle the line between sweet and savory. But when I went to my Brooklyn farmers market yesterday the strawberries and rhubarb were jumping out at me. I picked up a bunch of both and on the walk home started to think of what I could make with them for dinner. I was leaning toward making a chutney to serve over grilled lamb when I got a call from our friend Tim, who lives in the neighborhood. He said he just got a CSA (community supported agriculture) delivery and has more strawberries and rhubarb than he knows what to do with. "Can I bring some by for you?" he asked. Never being one to turn down free food, I told him I would gladly accept. But now I had double the amount of strawberries and rhubarb. I had to shift gears. I really didn't need 2+ pounds of chutney for just my husband and I. At this point, I had to admit that absolutely every sign was pointing toward a strawberry rhubarb pie. When Tim arrived at our apartment few minutes later, I told him my plans for the strawberries and rhubarb he had brought and, as "payment" for the produce, promised to give him and his fiance a few slices of the pie when I saw them later in the week.

As a side note, I did not totally abort the chutney mission, I have that on the tap for dinner tomorrow night. I'll post that recipe later in the week...

I made the pie crust from scratch, which, even though it may seem daunting, is really not all that hard to do. All you need are a few staple kitchen ingredients and a food processor. Plus, by making your own dough, you ensure that are only using high quality ingredients, and leaving out vegetable shortening or any other trans fats (which most pre-made pie crusts contain).

Also, since I prefer desserts that are not overly sweet, I kept the filling for the pie a bit on the tart side. If you prefer a sweeter pie, up the amount of granulated sugar from 1/3 c. to 1/2 c.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Crust:
3 c. all purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
2 1/8 sticks butter (1.125 cup) chilled butter, cut into pieces
10 tablespoons ice water

Filling:
3 c. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2" thick pieces
3 c. strawberries, halved
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1/3 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. salt

Glaze:
1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tsp. water

To make crust:
Combine flour, sugar and salt in food processor. Pulse in the chilled pieces of butter until the mixture is combined and mealy looking. Blend in the ice water, little by little, until the mixture is moist and has formed a ball. Remove the dough from the processor, form it into a ball and cut it in half. Flatten each piece of dough into a disc and wrap separately in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, or until it is firm.

To make filling:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine all filling ingredients in a large bowl and gently toss to combine.

Roll out one of the discs of dough on a floured work surface into a 13" round. Place it on a 9" pie dish. Trim excess dough, but leaving 3/4" overhang. Roll out second disc of dough into a 13" round as well. Slice the round into 1/2" thick long strips. Place the filling onto the crust. Place half of the dough strips on top of the filling, then place the second half on the filling going in the opposite direction to create the lattice top. Trim any excess dough and fold the overhang under and pinch to seal.

Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the top. Place the pie on a baking seat and bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Lower the temperature to to 350 degrees and continue cooking for 1 1/4 hours, or until the top is golden brown and the filling has thickened. Let cool before slicing and serving.