Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

I made a strawberry rhubarb pie last night since for the first time since last summer I saw rhubarb for sale. I actually can't believe I haven't put this pie on my blog before--I learned how to make it several years ago and since then I make it pretty frequently when rhubarb is in season.

I love rhubarb. There's something so interesting about the fact that it tastes fruity but sort of looks like pink celery. It's tart and especially good prepared with a sweet fruit like strawberries or bananas. My family has some sort of bizarre dislike of rhubarb that has been passed though the generations, so I never even ate any rhubarb until I was about 20.

I remember the first time I tried it--I was here in Vienna and we'd just been to the zoo. Zoos are one of my most favorite places to go ever, so I was still on a high from giddily running around like a three year old, fascinated by all the animals. Georg and I hadn't been dating that long, but he said that he didn't think he'd ever seen me so excited than when we were at the zoo. We were there for something like 5 or 6 hours, so afterwards we were really tired and hungry. Georg took me to a cafe across the street, where we sat outside and ordered coffee and pastries. I chose a rhubarb cake, and eating it was just a revelation for me. It was probably the combination of being in a new city with my lovely Georg, just having gone to the zoo, relaxing, and trying this new food called rhubarb, but that experience cemented in my mind that anything made with rhubarb is a good thing, and I have loved it ever since.

Anyway, here's how to make the pie. You cut up several stalks of rhubarb (between 4 and 6 stalks, depending on how large they are) and slice a package of strawberries. Next, you combine the fruit with a cup and a half of sugar, a third of a cup of flour, a couple of teaspoons each of lemon juice and vanilla, and then you pour the mixture in a pie or tart pan lined with pie dough (I always use store-bought pie dough for this). Then I usually dot the top of the pie with a few tablespoons of butter, but I have left this step out before and it's turned out fine. Next I make a lattice for the top crust, which is actually really easy and beautiful. You just cut the pie dough into strips and weave them over the top of the pie (more detailed instructions here). Finally, you bake the pie in the oven at 400 degrees for ten minutes, then 375 degrees for about 50 minutes, or until the top crust is browned.

The rhubarb and strawberries are really juicy and when the pie bakes they will spill over the top, so it's important to put some aluminum foil or parchment paper underneath so you won't have a big mess (I learned this the hard way!). In my opinion the pie's best when cold, but you can eat it warm if you don't have time to chill it. We didn't have time to chill it last night and although it's good warm, it's almost impossible to get individual slices out intact, so it looked more like a fruit crumble on the plate.

Georg and I love this pie. Even when I just make it for the two of us it never lasts more than a day and a half because we eat it at every meal.