Strawberry Rhubarb Pie for Mother's Day!

SHAMELESS REPEAT!!! And just so youse know, you'll probably get this every spring from me because strawberry rhubarb pie is a Mother's Day tradition around here..... And it's just so darn good that even avowed rhubarb skeptics usually love this pie.

Because it's just melt-in-your-mouth delicious and makes folks smile and then they envision things like Ma Ingalls cutting up the "pie plant" and making pie for Pa and the crew....

This is from First National Bank's Pioneer Sculpture Garden in Omaha... The artist did a great job of depicting the mother's worry from below as her son monkeys around atop the wagonload of goods... One wagon FULL of stuff, the only things they could carry along to a new life... a new locale. Makes me feel ridiculously spoiled.

They picture songbirds returning and sunny skies and green grass (this is a fantasy for LONG MONTHS up here, but not as long as in Nebraska and Minnesota this year!!! Hugs to all my beloved Heartland folks who would really like SPRING...)

So we're re-doing this in honor of Mother's Day... because spring is a time of re-birth and remembrance and for those of us who no longer have Earthly mothers it's a time to remember the past and embrace God's future for us.

And make pie. Or cake. :)

What's not to love????

For our Rhubarb Extravaganza, we're playing with strawberries and rhubarb today, and that only makes the world a nicer place to live!!!!

First, use the crust recipe I gave you HERE for the pie crust because it's the best pie crust ever, and NO ONE can mess it up. Promise!

So here's the basic filling recipe... We're going to cook it on the stove top first (I do this with blueberry, cherry and raspberry pie filling too, to avoid runny fillings.... )  I use a deep dish pie pan so if you're using a standard glass Pyrex pie pan, you can cut the recipe by a third or so... But if math is NOT your forte, buy a bigger pan.  ;)

6 cups fresh or frozen rhubarb, cut in 1/2 inch slices
3 cups strawberries, sliced, fresh or frozen
1 1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup flour
2 tablespoons butter

Cut rhubarb, mix with strawberries in large (4 quart) kettle....



Mix sugar and flour....

Heat rhubarb and strawberries over medium/low heat until the berries start to juice... then stir in flour/sugar mixture. Cover and simmer until hot. Add the butter, stirring now and again. Once mixture thickens and rhubarb turns somewhat translucent, it's ready for the pie pan!

Preheat oven to 425 degrees (hot oven)

Roll out bottom crust and place in pie pan. Pour in strawberry rhubarb mixture. Now you may top with a second crust, rolled out and placed over hot mixture. Cut 3 or 4 vent "slits" in crust, crimp edges and bake approximately 20 minutes... Pie does not take long because filling is cooked and hot.

OR....

Use the Dutch/French apple crumb topping recipe HERE to sprinkle on top.

 Bake same as above.

OR...

Roll out crust, cut into thin strips and criss cross over hot filling, creating traditional lattice work top. (That's my favorite way!)

I do crimp foil around the edges to avoid them getting burnt. I hate burnt edges.... And for the crumb topping, if it starts to brown, I lay a piece of foil over the top to protect the sugar.

No matter WHAT ELSE HAPPENS IN LIFE, we must protect the sugar!  :)

And here's a little gratuitous home-grown Northern sugar: