Summertime Blue Rhubarb Pie Food

BLUEBARB PIE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine flour and salt; cut in the shortening until crumbly. Gradually add water, tossing with a fork until dough forms a ball. Divide dough in half so that 1 portion is slightly larger than the other. Wrap; refrigerate for 4 hours or until easy to handle., On a lightly floured surface, roll out larger portion of dough to fit a 9-in. deep-dish pie plate or cast-iron skillet. Transfer crust to pie plate. Trim crust even with rim of plate. , For filling, in a large bowl, combine the sugar, tapioca and salt. Add rhubarb and blueberries; toss to coat. Let stand for 15 minutes. Transfer to crust. Dot with butter., Roll out remaining dough to fit top of pie. Place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edge. Cut slits in crust. If desired, make additional dough and use to create cutouts to decorate top of pie. Brush with milk; sprinkle with coarse sugar if desired. , Bake at 400° for 40-45 minutes or until crust is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cover edge with foil during the last 15 minutes to prevent overbrowning if necessary. Cool on a wire rack.

STRAWBERRY-RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• Make the crust. Combine the flour, salt and butter in a large bowl. Gently cut the butter into the flour using 2 sharp knives in a crisscross motion until the butter is about the size of small peas. (The lighter the hand, the flakier the crust.) Slowly drizzle in 1/2 cup ice water and fold into the mixture with a fork until the dough comes together-you want to work the dough as little as possible. Add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time, if the dough is too dry. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 2 balls. Form each into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Meanwhile, trim the rhubarb and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Hull the strawberries and slice. Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, granulated sugar, flour, cinnamon, salt, vanilla and lemon juice in a large bowl; toss.
• Prepare the bottom crust. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Roll out 1 disk of dough on a floured surface into a 12-inch round. Roll the dough onto the rolling pin, then carefully unroll it over a 9-inch pie plate. Gently press the dough into the plate with your fingers. Add the strawberry-rhubarb filling. Do not trim the overhanging dough.
• Make the lattice. Roll out the remaining disk of dough into a 12-inch round. With an old-fashioned crimper, sharp knife or pizza cutter, cut into 1-inch-wide strips. Lay about half of the strips on the pie in one direction, about 1/2 inch apart. Fold back every other strip halfway. Lay a strip perpendicular to the first ones. Unfold the strips back over the new strip, then fold alternate strips back halfway. Add another perpendicular strip; unfold the strips back over it. Repeat to form a lattice. Pinch the overhanging top and bottom crusts together, trimming as needed, then fold the dough under itself and crimp with your fingers.
• Bake the pie. Using your fingers, pat the lattice top with milk and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Put the pie on a baking sheet and place in the preheated oven. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 375 degrees F and bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, 50 more minutes. Let cool completely before slicing.

ROSCOMMON RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Trim the rhubarb, wipe with a damp cloth and cut into pieces about 1-inch in length. Put into the base of a tin or saute pan, sprinkle with the sugar. We put the stainless steel saute pan on a low heat at this point while we make the dough.
• Sieve all the dry ingredients into a bowl. Cut the butter into cubes and rub into the flour until the mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs. Whisk the egg with the milk. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients, pour in the liquid all at once and mix to a soft dough. Turn out onto a floured board and roll into a 9-inch round about 1-inch thick. Place this round on top of the rhubarb and tuck in the edges neatly. Brush with a little egg wash and sprinkle with granulated sugar.
• Bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes then, reduce the temperature to 350 degrees for another 30 minutes, or until the top is crusty and golden and the rhubarb soft and juicy.
• Remove from the oven and allow to sit for a few minutes. Put a warm plate over the top of the saute pan, turn upside down onto the plate being careful of the hot juices. Serve warm with soft brown sugar and whipped cream.

RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• To make the crust: Have all of your ingredients ready and chilled. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a food processor. Add the butter and lard. Use the food processor to work the butter and lard into the flour. Work the fats into the flour until it starts to stick together when squeezed, but you want to keep some of the fat in pea-size pieces. If it is too soft and it won't stay in pieces, place the bowl in the freezer for about 15 minutes and then try again.
• Whisk the egg, add it along with the water and vinegar to the flour/lard mixture. Stir this with your hand or a wooden spoon, but be very gentle. The goal is to keep the pea-size chunks of fat intact. It will start to look shaggy and not dry. It should hold together when you squeeze it in your hand. Gently knead the dough into a ball. Divide the dough into two pieces and create round disks. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for at least an hour, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F with the rack on the bottom shelf.
• In a large bowl, toss together the rhubarb, cherries, sugar, cornstarch and spices. Roll out one of the circles of dough and drape it into the pie plate. Place the filling in the pie shell. Break the butter up into several pieces and put it over the filling.
• Weave the lattice over the top. Crimp the edges. Brush the top with egg wash.
• Sprinkle generously with sugar.
• Place the pie on a baking sheet, just in case the juices bubble over.
• Bake for 30 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F, bake until the juices are bubbling and translucent, and the fruit is very soft. This can take up to 1 1/2 hours. If the top crust starts to get too much color, tent the pie loosely with foil.
• Allow the pie to cool so the juices set enough to cut the pie.
• Enjoy with ice cream.

BLUEBERRY RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out both crusts. Line a deep 9-inch pie pan with the bottom crust and return both crusts to the refrigerator.
• In a medium bowl, combine rhubarb, berries, sugar, flour, tapioca, salt, nutmeg and lemon juice. Toss to coat and combine, then scoop into waiting bottom crust. The fruit should come up to within 1/2-inch of the rim of the pan; do not overfill. If necessary, add more or subtract some of the fruit. Break the butter into pieces and dot over the fruit.
• Lay top crust over filling. Trim excess dough from the edges and crimp, then cut 6 or 7 vents on top. Brush a light coating of egg wash over the crust, including the edges.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 375 degrees. Bake another 25 minutes, then open the oven and quickly sprinkle the crust with a thin coating of granulated sugar. Bake another 10 to 15 minutes, or until you see steady bubbling in the filling coming through the vents.
• Remove pie from oven and listen to it: if the crust is sizzling, and the filling is audibly bubbling against the top crust, it is done. Let cool completely before serving.

SUMMER STRAWBERRY RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Divide the pie pastry in half; roll out half into a circle on a floured work surface, and line a 9-inch pie dish with bottom crust. Roll the remaining half out into a 10-inch circle on a floured work surface, and set aside.
• Mix the rhubarb, whole strawberries, 1 cup of sugar, flour, butter, and nutmeg together in a bowl. Pour the filling into the crust-lined pie dish.
• Cut the remaining crust into 3/4-inch wide strips (use a scalloped edge pastry cutter for a prettier crust). Moisten the rim of the filled bottom crust with a bit of water, and lay the two longest strips in a cross in the middle of the pie. Working from the next longest down to the shortest strips, alternate horizontal and vertical strips, weaving the strips as you go. Press the lattice strips down onto the bottom crust edge to seal, and trim the top crust strips neatly. Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar with cinnamon in a small bowl, and set aside.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Remove pie. Sprinkle the top with the cinnamon-sugar mixture, and return to oven; bake until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling, about 30 more minutes.

STRAIGHT-UP RHUBARB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Make the crust: before measuring the flour, stir it to leaven with air and then measure out 2 cups. Combine the flour, salt and sugar in a large bowl and fluff with a fork. Cut the shortening into the flour with a fork or pastry blender. Stop as soon as the sheen of the butter disappears and the mixture is a bunch of coarse pieces. Sprinkle a tablespoon of water at a time over the dough, lifting and tossing it with the fork. When it begins to come together, gather the dough, press it into a ball and then pull it apart; if it crumbles in your hands, it needs more water. (It's better to err on the side of too wet than too dry.) Add a teaspoon or two more water, as needed.
• Gather the dough into two slightly unequal balls, the larger one for the bottom crust and the smaller one for the top. Flatten the larger ball, reforming any frayed edges with the sides of your hand. Dust with flour and roll the dough, starting from the center and moving toward the edges. Take a knife or thin spatula and quickly work its edge between the crust and the counter top. Lift the dough to the side; dust the dough and counter top with flour. Roll again until the diameter is an inch or 2 larger than that of the pie pan. Lay the rolling pin a third of the way from one of the edges. Roll the crust onto the pin and then unroll the crust into a 9-inch pie pan and press it into place. Place in the freezer.
• Make the filling: in a large bowl, blend the rhubarb, sugar, flour and cinnamon. Pour into the crust-lined pie pan. Dot with butter.
• Roll out the top crust. Dab the rim of the bottom crust with water to create a glue. Then place the top crust over the rhubarb; trim, seal and cut several vents. Bake for 15 minutes; reduce the temperature to 350 degrees and bake 25 to 30 minutes more, or until a bit of pink juice bubbles from the vents in the crust.

BLUEBARB PIE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place on lower oven rack.
• Toss the rhubarb and blueberries in a bowl with the salt, nutmeg, lemon juice, 1 1/3 cup sugar, and flour until evenly mixed. Pour into the pie shell and dot with butter.
• Cover the filled crust with the top crust and flute the edges. Cut a few decorative steam vents in the top crust. Sprinkle the crust with 1 tablespoon of sugar; cover the fluted edges with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.
• Bake in the preheated oven on the baking sheet for 15 minutes; reduce the heat to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) and bake 35 minutes longer. Remove the foil and continue baking until the crust is golden and juice is bubbling through the slits, about 15 minutes more. Cool completely before serving.