Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Sunshineville is great for the supply of many a fruit and vegetable, but there are some limitations. One glaring one in my opinion is rhubarb! We just do not have the right climate to cultivate this odd little weed which requires a cold snap to break its winter dormancy. While Sunshineville can occasionally get down to the low 40s at night that really isn't enough. Come the spring some of the grocery stores will have some rhubarb, usually at prices that make a friend of mine who grew up in Minnesota scoff! But, I buy some anyways because I love all things rhubarb!

A couple years ago when hiking in the San Raphael Wilderness area north of Santa Barbara I happened upon a small plant that looked like it could be wild rhubarb. No idea if it was or not, but it was cool to see!

Wild Rhubarb?

What do you think?

With  rhubarb in hand I decided to make a pie!

Here is what I did:

Rinse the rhubarb stocks well, trim the tops and bottoms off

Cut up 2 lbs of rhubarb cut into 1/2" pieces

In a medium size pot, put the cut up rhubarb (reserve a 1/2 cup) with a 1 cup of water and 1/2 to 1 cup of sugar. Put over medium heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the rhubarb has cooked down to a compote consistency (about 30 minutes). After the 30 minutes add the remaining rhubarb and continue to simmer for 15 minutes.

Make a pastry crust for a double crust pie. Take half of the pastry dough and roll it to make the bottom crust. Place crust in a 9" pie plate. Cover the crust with the rhubarb mixture. 

Now line the top of the rhubarb with sliced strawberries.

Roll out the reminder of the pastry crust. Cut it into strips and arrange in a lattice pattern. After the lattice was arranged I finished the edge.

Place the pie in a pre-heated oven at 375 F. Bake for 30 to 45 minutes until the crust has browned and the filling is bubbling. Let the pie cool at least 15 minutes before serving.

All done!

Excellent eaten on its own or with vanilla ice cream!

Happy Baking!

~ Recipe ~ 

Pastry Crust for double crusted pie: You can double the recipe used here
Rhubarb compote
1 lb strawberries - sliced

~Rhubarb Compote~


2 to 3 lbs of Rhubarb (chopped)
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Put the rhubarb (minus 1/2 cup), the water and sugar in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the reserved rhubarb and simmer for 15 more minutes. Use immediately or refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to a month.

~Assembly~

Roll out 1/2 the pastry crust and line the bottom of a 9" pie plate. Add rhubarb compote and then arrange sliced strawberries on top. Make a lattice top by weaving stripes of dough across the top of the pie.

Bake for 30 to 45 minutes at 375 F. Until crust is golden and filling is bubbling.