Strawberry Rhubarb Pie...A Summer's Delight

This wonderful recipe, I took from a few different including Emeril Lagasse and other chefs.  Combining elements I found beneficial and developing a perfect balance of sweet and tart; and of  balanced crust with filling. 

Enjoy warm or cold, but I found that if I chilled the pie and then let it warm up slightly at room temperature before serving, it had perfect taste and consistency.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie:
2 lbs Strawberries, washed and hulled -organic preferred
1 lb Fresh Rhubarb, sliced
4 Tbsp Butter
1 cup Sugar

1 cup Brown Sugar
2 Tsp Corn Starch
1 Tbsp Flour
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (or fresh 1/4 vanilla bean)
Continued...
Ingredients for Pie Dough (Bottom only on this recipe)  click here for Pie Dough Recipe and instructions.  
Ingredients for Pie crumbled topping:
1 cup Oats
4 tbsp Butter, cubed-small
1/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/4 cup Flour

Directions:
Saute Rhubarb in butter, over med high heat 4-6 minutes, until soft.  Turn off heat, add fresh Strawberries, Lemon Juice, Vanilla Extract. Stir in Sugar, Brown Sugar. 
Shake corn starch and flour over top of ingredents and stir in with fork, eliminating any lumps. 

Tip: to eliminate lumps altogether, remove a few Tbsp of liquid from pan and stir in dry flour/corn starch until smooth, then return to pan and stir in to the rest of the filling-the same works for any flour or starch addition to sauces, gravies, etc. :)

Let mixture sit in pan, cooling, while you prepare your dough for crust.  See link above for complete dough recipe.  After chilling your dough per recipe, roll and lay out your dough in bottom of pie pan. Pinch edges to form a nice wavered edge, or use a fork to press in lines.
Lay filling from pan into the pie.  Top with Crumb Topping.

If you have a pie ring to cover the crust, I always recommend using these, as they help to prevent the crust from burning.


Crumb Topping Directions: 
In large mixing bowl, add all ingredients for topping.  Using pastry cutter, cut butter into mix until
fine and crumbly. Pour over top of pie filling.


Bake @ 350degrees, 45 mins.
Let cool, then chill.

My Newest Fabulous Book Find! For Every Domestic Goddess!

The Homemade Pantry by Alana Chernila - Random House

Let it be known that every woman intending to lay claim to master the realm of homemade foods, from growing to cooking, needs the advice of other women!  There is far too much to learn on our own and frankly, too little time! 

 In The Homemade Pantry, Alana Chernila has written a delightfully easy, fun to read, how-to on many basics for the kitchen. Including, how to make your condiments, bread rolls, pesto, basic sauces.  She also incorporates many of her own personal mishaps-which gives us insight to what "not" to do.

I brought this with me on our vacation to Cape Cod this summer, (stories and pics of that coming soon) and I returned with a head full of what I am doing for the rest of the summer. I couldn't wait to get started...:)

Let this be your late summer read, and you will be ready for the harvests of fall, canning, food preservation and a host of things throughout the winter!  5 stars!! 

Pick this up at Barnes and Noble, or order via Amazon or Random House by the link above.

La Dolce Vita= The Good Life :)

xoxo