I have to admit, though, Julia would have been disappointed. I didn't have the time to make the pastry the night before so we used a store bought crust (may the food gods all shun me...). It was still succulent and delicious and we added a streusel topping which certainly took from the startling tartness of the rhubarb (which Miss L tried raw and promptly spat back out. Give it a try some time! You'd never believe that's the flavor that counters the sweetness of the strawberries perfectly in this pie).
Read more for step by step photos and recipe...
Filling:
2 3/4 cups sliced rhubarb, about 3 large stalks *
2 cups hulled and sliced strawberries *
2/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp cornstarch
* Make sure to buy your produce at local farmer's markets...you will NOT be sorry. So much better than your grocery store's mass produced fruit.
Streusel Topping:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, cold and diced
- In a medium-large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, and cornstarch. Mix until covered and until thick and syrupy.
- If you're using your own pie crust, because you should not be like me, roll it out and place in a 9" to 9.5" pie dish.
- Pour in filling and pat down with a large spoon to even out.
- In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar.
- Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut the butter into the flour and sugar until it is the consistency of coarse crumbs (coarser than they would be were you making a dough).
- Sprinkle the streusel topping evenly over the top of the pie (you'll have a good 1/2" covering.)
- Place the pie on a baking sheet (in case of overflow...which does happen) and bake at 400 F for 50 - 55 minutes.
- After 25 minutes, cover the edges of the pie with foil to prevent the pastry from burning or becoming too crisp.
- Let the pie cool completely before cutting. Serve and savor!