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Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Our yard here in Deutschland is huge. And by huge I mean someone actually quoted me 250 Euro just to mow it! Of course, that was a grossly inflated quote and I ended up finding someone who would do it for 40 Euro, but anyhoo, that’s not the point. The point is that amongst the Christmas tree grove, 1/4 acre of grassy yard, one 20′x20′ raised bed garden, an herb garden, another 20′x20′ plot for compost, 3 apple trees, a cherry tree, and various berry bushes things tend to get lost in the confusion. Since spring began, I saw a couple of plants sprouting up in a massive tangle of stinging nettle. Because it was practically encased in the irritating stuff, I mostly ignored it until I had a chance to whack my way through the nettle.

At first I assumed that it was just absolutely massive chard leaves. But, as I got a closer look, I noticed that the thick, fibrous stalks were rhubarb! You have to understand, ever since I found out that the leaves of rhubarb are toxic, I have been scared to death (tee hee hee. Pun.) to cook with the stuff. Totally an unsubstantiated fear, I know. But, as I stared at my 5+ pounds of rhubarb, I knew I had to overcome it.

I took a pole on Facebook to see what I should do with the stuff. Over and over I saw Strawberry Rhubarb Pie…and jam. For some reason, while I love the idea of being the little old lady who cans everything from her garden and has full shelves of the stuff lining her basement, again, I have a ridiculous fear about canning. The idea of boiling glass jars just freaks me out. I don’t know. I just imagine having to pick shards of glass out of my jelly. Or, watching the explosion of glass and boiling water consume my kitchen.

So, instead of tackling two of my greatest kitchen fears in one afternoon, I started with something gentle. Something soothing and non-panic inducing. And that something was this pie!

STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE
serves eight
recipe adapted from The New Best Recipe by Cook’s Illustrated
I was able to find a local spelt flour that worked great for this pie crust – and it didn’t upset my stomach! I have a theory that European wheat products just don’t invoke the same sort of allergic reactions that American products do. It’s just a theory. It is by no means science, so I don’t recommend testing this unless your reactions to wheat are extremely mild like mine. Adding vodka to the crust inhibits the formation of gluten, so your crust stays nice and tender. It’s my (no longer) secret weapon. To make this vegan, brush the top of the pie with melted EarthBalance instead of egg white before baking.

For the Crust:
2.5 cups spelt flour or your favorite GF baking mix, plus more for dusting the work surface
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. Organic sugar
14 Tbs. good quality butter or EarthBalance, super cold, cut into pieces
4-5 Tbs. ice cold vodka
4-5 Tbs. ice water

For the Filling:
2 tsp. lightly flavored oil (I used super light olive oil.)
1.5 pounds rhubarb, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup + 1 Tbs. Organic sugar
5 Tbs. cornstarch
pinch salt
1.5 pounds strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/2 Tbs. vanilla extract
1 egg white, lightly beaten

1. In a food processor, combine the flour, salt and sugar for the crust. Pulse once or twice to combine. Add the butter, vodka, and water and run the food pro until it forms a dough ball. If your food pro isn’t massive, you may need to divide the dough recipe in half and make it in two batches. That’s what I had to do.
2. If you make the dough in one batch, split it in half and roll each half into a disc. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.
3. While the dough is chilling, prepare your rhubarb and strawberries.
4. Place a large skillet over high heat and add the oil. Toss the rhubarb in 1/4 cup of the sugar and add it to the hot pan. Saute the rhubarb until it has sweat out a good portion of its juices, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the rhubarb to a large plate and refrigerate until cool.
5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees F. Place an oven rack on the lowest position and place a rimmed baking sheet on it.
6. Roll out one piece of the dough and place it in a 9-inch pie pan. You may trim the excess off very carefully, but leave at least an extra inch all the way around. Refrigerate until needed.
7. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the cornstarch, and salt. In a large bowl, combine the strawberries, rhubarb, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the fruit, and toss gently.
8. Pour the filling into the pie shell.
9. Roll out the second piece of dough into a 12 inch circle. Place it over the filling. Trim the edges so that they are even with the bottom piece of dough. Tuck the bottom piece over the top piece, folding, pinching, and forming a seal. Flute the edges.
10. Cut 8 slits on the top of the pie and place it in the freezer for 10 minutes.
11. Brush the top of the pie with the egg white and evenly sprinkle 1 Tbs. sugar over the top.
12. Place the pie on the hot baking sheet and lower the temperature to 425 degrees. Cook for 25 minutes.
12. Rotate the pie halfway around and lower the temp again to 375. Continue to cook until the pie is very brown and the juices a bubbling just slightly from the top.
13. Cool on a wire rack for 4 hours before serving.

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