Kim Church's Rhubarb Pie # 29

My husband comes from pie people.

His mom bakes pies, his great-grandma baked pies, his great-great-grandma baked pies, and I assume that there are a lot of other pie bakers in his line that I just don't know about.

That being said, it might not be hard to guess that my husband is a pie guy. He's another link in this generational chain of pie lovers. The credit for that probably goes to this lady:

my mother-in-law, Kim Church.
(Don't get confused. Kim, my mother-in-law on the left. Kimberly, me, on the right.)

She's been baking pies her whole life and has given me a few crust and pie tutorials over the past three years. I'm lucky enough to have learned a thing or two from her and we're all lucky enough that she's letting me exploit her talents by posting the recipe and directions for her rhubarb pie right here on this little blog.

Her pie is delicious. But I find it impossible to leave my critique there, because her pies are the perfect exemplification of the person she is and the adorable island where she lives. Her pies are consistent. They're sweet, organic, and made without fuss or pretense.

And if I can't explain to you in words how great her pies are, the years on her Betty Crocker cookbook, should at least give her pie baking experience a little clout.

One thing that I especially love is the little worry associated with the crust. If you've been consistently reading, you probably know that I've been making a stink about keeping your pie crust COLD! And while her crust has cold shortening in it (something she promotes), she doesn't try to build an arctic tundra of cold pie tools and ingredients (like I often do), and yet, it's perfectly tasty. 

Clearly I still have a lot to learn.

Another thing that I adore about her pies is that she uses the ingredients around her. The pies that she regularly makes are blackberry, rhubarb, and apple.

She lives on Bainbridge Island (just a ferry ride away from Seattle) and I would guess that there are more blackberry bushes on Bainbridge than people. The rhubarb is grown in the garden in her front yard (we used that same rhubarb for this pie). And when they're in season, she uses the apples off the trees in her mother's yard. These are also the same apple trees that her grandma picked from when she made her apple pies.

To me this pie tastes like a lot of love and it's clear that my husband has reason to be a pie loyalist after growing up with his mother's wonderful pies.

Kim Church's Rhubarb Pie

For crust:

2 2/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup shortening

7 to 8 tablespoons cold water

For filling:

6 cups Rhubarb

1/2 cups flour

1 3/4 cups sugar

4 generous shakes cinnamon

3 tablespoons butter.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Heat oven to 425 degrees

For crust--combine flour and salt and stir to combine. Add cold shortening and cut into flour with a fork to combine. Cut until ingredients resemble coarse meal. Add cold water one tablespoon at time and stir with fork or combine with hands before adding each tablespoon. Once moist enough, combine into a ball split into two equal parts. (No need to chill dough.)

For filling--cut rhubarb into 1/2-inch slices. Pour flour, sugar, and cinnamon over rhubarb and stir to combine. Make sure that all the rhubarb is covered in sugar and flour.

Roll out bottom crust on floured surface. To transfer the crust, roll dough over your rolling pin and unroll over pie dish (I have the hardest time doing it--it was perfect when she did it)

Line pie pan with dough by gently moving the crust until it forms into the pie pan while still hanging over the edge an inch or more.

Add rhubarb to pie dish by scooping out with your hands and allowing the excess flour and sugar to drop through your fingers (there should be a lot of extra flour and sugar at the bottom of the mixing bowl once all the rhubarb is in the pie pan). Dot the rhubarb with 3 tablespoons of butter (cut into smaller chunks and evenly space throughout pan).

Roll out top crust and drape over the top of the rhubarb. Trim excess dough (so that there's about an inch hanging over) and fold remaining dough over and form a lip over the edge of the pie pan by tucking the dough into the pie pan. Crimp or pinch edges to form a decorative edge and cut steam vents.

Put a tin-foil ring around the pie before you put it in the oven. and then take it off at the end (last 15 minutes) so your crust doesn't overly brown.

Bake pie for 30 minutes and remove tinfoil for 15 to 20 minutes. Bake until you see juices bubble out of one of the steam vents. (Total bake time 45-50 minutes.)

Bluebarb Pie # 23

This, my friends, is the new winner of 2010. Ryan and I both agree that it's one of the best, if not the best, that we've had all year (and that's saying a lot from people who have eaten more than 23 pies this year).

I was skeptical of the blueberry and rhubarb combo, but after the first taste, I realized I was SO wrong. As far as blueberries go, I love to eat them with some type of lemon accompaniment. I love their sweetness coupled with a little bit of tang and I had underestimated how wonderful the tangiest of all pie fillings: rhubarb, would accompany these blueberries. It was brilliant. And, if you don't mind me saying, far superior to any of those strawberry rhubarb combos. 

And then on top of that...don't you love the name?

That was probably one of the only reasons that I made this pie to begin with. But I'm pleasently surprised that a perfect pun accompanies such a perfect pie.

Honestly, I really don't know what else to say. This pie is a winner. The crust is simple, yet (and excuse me for using this word again) perfectly paired with the flavor and texture of the filling.

It's blue ribbon bluebarb, my friends. It's going to be hard to top this one.

Bluebarb Pie

(adapted from "Bubby's Homemade Pies")

All-Butter Crust

5 to 6 tablespoons ice cold water

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

11 to 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

Filling:

3 cups Blueberries, Sorted and cleaned

3 cups (1 1/2 pound) rhubarb, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling on the top crust

1/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Pinch salt

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

For the crust: Measure out the flour (unsifted) by leveling off dry measuring cups, and add the flour to the large bowl. Add the salt to the flour and give it a quick stir to combine evenly.

Use cold butter, measure out the amount you need, cut into small cubes and add to the flour. Break up any pieces that stick together and toss them all to coat them with flour. (If it is a warm day, chill this mixture briefly in the freezer before continuing.)

Using a pastry cutter, press the blades through the mixture, bearing down repeatedly like you would to mash potatoes. Repeat the gesture until the largest pieces of fat are the size of shelling peas and the smallest are the size of lentils (none smaller). Re chill if necessary.

Add water and toss to coat the small balls of butter. Use your hands to mold the dough into a ball. Sprinkle more water on the top if it is crumbly. Spilt ball into two and form two discs. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

For the filling: Preheat the oven to 450F

In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, rhubarb, sugar, flour, zest, juice, salt, and melted butter. Lightly toss the fruit and filling ingredients and set aside.

Roll out the bottom pastry and line a 9-inch pie plate with the bottom crust. Roll out the remaining dough for the top crust. Re chill the pastry if necessary.

Scrape the filling into the bottom crust and cover it with the second crust. Trim and crimp the crust; chill the pie for 10 minutes in the freezer. Cut vent slits in top crust (unless you are a rebel like me and make a lattice crust) and sprinkle it lightly with sugar. This pie is particularly beautiful if small round vent holes are stamped in the top crust--when the blueberry juice spills out, it looks like a blueberry.

Bake the pie on a lipped baking sheet for 10 minutes, or until the crust looks dry, blistered, and blond. Turn the oven down to 375F, and bake for at last 30 minutes more, or until the crust is golden brown and visible juices are thickened and bubble slowly through slits in the top crust.

Cool the pie completely before cutting, at least a few hours. Serve it at room temperature. Store the pie uncovered at room temperature, up to 3 days (if it lasts that long).

Elizabeth's Pie #21

Truth be told, this pie doesn't know what it is. It's got a little bit of everything in it: strawberries, raspberries, rhubarb, and even a green apple.

So...you don't like apple pie? Fine, how about a berry pie. No berries? Try this rhubarb one on for size.

It's got it all.

Even a winning reputation--someone, named Elizabeth (hence the pie's name), brought home a ribbon from the Iowa state fair with this recipe, which gives it somewhat of a celebrity status and if I were the owner of this recipe, I'd give it a proper celebrity name: straspbarbappleberry...or something like that.

Rhubarb Raspberry Pie #19

The grocery storey:

It was late Saturday night.

And by late I mean 8:30, the time normal people go out, but after a day of biking around the city, I was a little tired so it felt like at least 11:00.

But any way, I went to the grocery store to pick up items for the All Red party we were going to on Sunday night (I had volunteered to bring a "red" pie), among other important sundries.

Here's the grocery store situation for us:We are right in the middle of 3 mediocre "grocery stores".

All of them has something that I buy on a regular basis. None of them has everything. Produce, in general, is pretty sad at all three, though sometimes they have what you need, on sale, and in lovely condition. I guess that's what keeps me going back and the fact that any other "real" grocery store necessitates a 20 minute walk or a subway ride, which isn't bad, in fact I often do it, but when I feel a little tired I like to risk the prices and the perkiness of these sub pare produce sections.

Indeed, I live life on the edge.

Rhubarb Pie with Cinnamon Crust #18

The two things that you need to know about this pie:

1-EASY: Oh how I adore warm weather and all the fruit pies that come with it (okay, rhubarb isn't a fruit...but I'm still grouping it in here). They are easy, easy (as in, they require only a few ingredients and a minimal amount of labor but make exceptional results). And this is pie is one of the easiest. Start to finish time: 90 minutes.

2-DELICIOUS: We couldn't wait to eat it so we cut into it hot. Normally I wouldn't allow this tactic because I strongly believe that pie tastes better after it's cooled, but it smelled so good and we needed a treat and well...we couldn't resist. However, it was delicious, especially hot. I would definitely eat it again and I would eat it hot and I would eat it for breakfast and lunch and dinner and for another late-night snack, provided, of course, that it would last that long.

Any way, this is a great pie to try right now. Rhubarb is just starting to be in season and it's a pretty delightful way welcome spring.

The only negative thing I have to say is that the crust could use some reworking. I think the best way that someone described it was kind of sandy (though the thought of a big mouthful of sand is WAY worse than it actually was). I'm not sure what was going on there but it just wasn't quit right. So, if you do make this pie and decide not to use the crust (which is always an option), I would suggest that you put a teaspoon of cinnamon and; vanilla into whatever crust you do use. And, if you use this crust (which is a good option too), I promise your mouth will still be happy. (Happy, like you're at the beach type of happy, which is what this warm weather is all about.)

Strawberry Rhubarb #6

Okay, first things first, I don't believe in eating things that are out of season.

Even if the fanciest grocery store is selling watermelon in February I don't buy it because of principle (and price and taste...but mostly principle).

This new philosophy in my life came the day I cracked open the pages of the Omnivore's Dilemma. In a way, it's really screwed things up for me by prompting me to get to the farmer's market week after week to partake of their summer harvest, and has even stretched me to love beets and any other winter vegetable I can find during January and February. Not as easy as just buying what's at the store (but tastier).

Any way, why am I telling you this?

Because I believe that food tastes better and is better for you when it's not shipped from Guatalawherever or grown in some hormone-injected fruit factory.

That's something I've been meaning to say for awhile now for many reasons, but mostly because I wanted to explain why I've been making creamy/custard/chocolate pies instead of fruit pies: It's not that they're in season, but technically, they're not out of season.

In any case, I feel like I have to push my beliefs out on the forefront of this post because of this: A Strawberry Rhubarb pie when neither are in season? What's that all about?

Here's the thing, I'm making these pies for my husband...and it was Valentine's Day...and you know what his favorite pie is?
Rhubarb pie

So when I found frozen rhubarb in the freezer section of my new supermarket, I got a little excited about a frozen fruit experiment...and it didn't hurt that it was a lovely color of red too.

And so I give you: (frozen) Strawberry (and frozen) Rhubarb pie.

Or as Ryan called it: "The Jamba Juice Pie" which, if you think about it, is appropriately named. It tangy, it's fruity, it tastes like summer, and at some point, it was frozen.

Oh, and did I mention? The experiment worked. It was delicious.

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
(adapted to accommodate frozen fruit for those winter months when you need something a little different)

Filling:
3 cups frozen strawberries (slightly thawed and halved or thickly sliced)
3 cups cut rhubarb (slightly thawed)
1 cup sugar
5 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 teaspoons orange zest
1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons unsweetened butter, cold and cut into pieces
1 tablespoon sugar, to dust top

Bubby's Butter & Shortening Crust
(8-10 Inch Double Crust)
6 Tablespoons ice cold water
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
7 Tablespoons cold unsalted butter
4 Tablespoons cold shortening

Directions
Measure out the water for the crust and chill it in the freezer while preparing the rest of the crust.

Measure out the flour (un-sifted) by leveling off dry measuring cups, and add the flour to large bowl. Add the salt to the flour and give it a quick stir to combine evenly.

Cut cold butter and cold shortening into cubes and add to flour mixture. Coat butter and shortening with flour and with a pastry cutter, cut it into the flour mixture until it resembles coarse meal.

Add cold water and use hands to form the dough into a two balls or disks. Chill for 1 hour or overnight.

When dough is chilled, Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees.

Run frozen fruit under warm water to partially thaw fruit and drain all excess water. If needed, slice the rhubarb and strawberries and place in large bowl.

Cover the fruit with the sugar, flour, zest and salt. Toss lightly and be careful of mashing or breaking the fruit chunks but also separate any fruit that may still be frozen together.

Roll out 1 dough disk in to a 10-inch round and line your 9-inch pie dish with it.

Place the mixture into the pie pan. Dot the pie with the butter slices. Roll out top crust and cover pie filling with top crust, crimping the tops and bottoms so that the pie is well sealed. If not using a lattice crust cut steam vents into the pie.

Brush the top crust with milk and dust with the sugar.

Place the pie on a jelly roll to catch drippings. Bake the pie for 10 minutes or until the top crust appears dry and lightly blistered.

Reduce the cooking heat to 350 degrees. Bake an additional 50-60 minutes (or if using fresh fruit 30-40 minutes) or until the fruit mixture thickly bubbles in the middle of the pie. Pie crust should be golden and flaky.

Allow pie to cool completely before serving.