Some wonderful new neighbors just moved in downstairs, so my husband organized an impromptu grill party for yesterday night. As always, I was in charge of the pie. I made the first strawberry-rhubarb of the year. Sadly though, I did not have enough garden output for the ingredients and had to use store-bought. The resulting pie was perfect - flaky, buttery crust and a flavorful filling you could really sink your fork into. The best pies are often made under a little bit of pressure - deadline looming, naptime drawing to a close, and with a bunch of new faces as taste-testers.
Strawberry Rhubarb Grill Party Pie (filling for 9" pie)
1.5 lbs. rhubarb, trimmed and cut into 1/2" thick slices
16 oz. strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered depending on size
1 T. brown sugar, heaped
3/4 c. white sugar
4 T. arrowroot starch
1 t. ground cinnamon (I used Penzey's)
Mix all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl. Line your 9" pie dish with the bottom crust. Pour and heap filling mix into crust. Set upper crust on top. Trim edges and seal (I use a fork to crimp the edges). Cut a vent into the top crust. Bake at 400 F for 20 min, then reduce oven temperature to 350 F and bake for an additional 35-40 min. When magenta goo erupts from the crust vent (or other cracks in the crust), the pie is generally done. Serve warm.
Current Pie Tally: 56
