I took the day off Monday from our busy campaign schedule to do some errands and basic household chores. Outside, the shady part of the lawn was blanketed by delicate spring beauties and the buds on the buckeye trees and dogwood trees were bursting open. A couple of my trilliums (Ohio’s state wildflower) were open and beautiful. But when I got to my rhubarb patch I couldn’t believe how tall and robust it was! I really didn’t plan on doing any baking but I just couldn’t get that rhubarb out of my mind!
Later in the day as I was working on my new campaign cookbook, I looked again at the recipe that Tina Husted is putting in for rhubarb pie. It is Jon’s mother’s recipe, and it is for a rhubarb custard pie. So I decided that now was the time to try it!
It was still warm when Mike returned home. After eating his first piece he declared it delicious! And called Jon to tell him how good it was. Jon said it is his favorite!
Rhubarb pie has become one of our very favorite pies at our Ice Cream Social. For many people it is the first time they have ever tasted rhubarb. I generally make a strawberry rhubarb pie (I don’t want to serve custard pie in the heat). So you have your choice: Judy Husted’s Rhubarb Pie or Fran’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie.
Judy Husted’s Rhubarb Pie
3 1/2 cups diced rhubarb
1 1/2 cups sugar*
2 eggs
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter, salted
Stir all together and pour into pie shell, cover with top crust (vented) or lattice. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake at 350° 40-45 minutes. Makes 1 deep dish or 2 shallow dish pies. *You can use less sugar if you want.
Fran’s Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie
Pastry for 2-crust pie
3 cups strawberries, cleaned and cut in half
2 cups fresh rhubarb, cut in 1/2- 3/4” slices
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter
Prepare pastry for 2-crust pie. Wash berries, trim, cut in half. Remove leaf from rhubarb. Wash. Chop in slices. Mix strawberries, rhubarb, sugar and flour in bowl. Pour into 9” bottom crust. Dot with butter. Wet edge. Put on top crust. Seal and crimp edge. Bake at 375° for 10 minutes, then at 350° for 50 minutes.
