The Most Inconsiderate Pie Eater

My mother-in-law and I were in the commissary (that's military talk for grocery store) this weekend and my keen eyesight spotted a rare find---rhubarb! For those of you unfamiliar with rhubarb, it's a stalk-y plant that resembles a thick magenta colored stalk of celery. Like this:

I never had the opportunity to ever taste rhubarb until I was about 20 years old. That was when my husband's grandmother, Nani, made her famous strawberry rhubarb pie when we were visiting her down in Florida.

Oh. Mah. Gawd.

It was like heaven on a plate. I loved it SO much, that I ate the last slice for breakfast--much to the chagrin of Eric's brother, Tim, who for the rest of the vacation referred to me as the Most Inconsiderate Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Eater. I didn't care. That slice of pie was worth it!

Anyhow, it took YEARS, but Nani finally relinquished her sacred recipe to my MIL so that I could try baking it on my own. Since receiving the recipe, the results have been hit or miss. The misses being a disgusting soupy mess. Ick.

Well, when I saw the rhubarb in the grocery store I decided it was time for another try (practice makes perfect, right?). So, I packed up the kid, picked up some strawberries, rhubarb, and pie crusts (the pre-made kind because I'm not THAT dedicated to a 'homemade' pie).

We returned home with the goods and I plopped her in her high chair with some rice puffs to entertain her whilst I chopped up the rhubarb and strawberries. I chopped the strawberries and rhubarb into bit-sized pieces:

Here's the kid! See, she's happy while momma bakes!

After you cut up the strawberries and rhubarb you mix them with the other ingredients: tapioca, sugar, and flour to make the filling and let it set for 30min.  While the filling is setting you break out the pie crusts and put one into the bottom of the pie tin/plate/whatever.  After the thirty minutes is up you can definitely see a difference.

            Before                                                                          After

The tapioca is key in making sure that the filling is gelatinous instead of a soupy mess.

Once the filling has been spooned into the pie, place the second pie crust on the top and edge the pie with milk and press the crusts together with a fork. Then put some butter on top and sprinkle some sugar. Don't forget to cut some vent holes on the top!

It's best to put a cookie sheet under the pie...just in case the filling bubbles out (I lined my cookie sheet with tin foil for an easy clean up).

Bake for 50min and you're done!!

I bet you're asking yourselves, was this pie a hit or a miss?

The answer is, it was a DIRECT HIT!! Right on the bullseye!

Here it is ladies and gents! The most fabulous pie you will EVER eat in your ENTIRE lives!

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Recipe
Ingredients:
1lb rhubarb (about 3.5 - 4 cups)
2 pints of strawberries (about 3.5 - 4 cups)
1 1/4 cup of sugar
1/3 cup of flour
3 tbsp of tapioca
1/4 tsp of salt
1 tbsp of butter
1 tbsp of milk
**

Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix together sugar, flour, tapioca, and salt. Then mix strawberries and rhubarb with mixture. Let stand for 30 minutes. Get pie crusts ready (9"). Spoon filling into crust. Place pieces of butter on top of filling. Put top crust on. Edge with milk. Drop butter and sugar on top of crust.

*I personally enjoy this pie cold, so once you've had a slice, put the rest into the fridge and enjoy a piece for breakfast!

**Also, I left out the most secret ingredient...my husband insisted, it is HIS Nani's special recipe. If you'd like to make this recipe, email me and I'll tell you after I've sworn you to secrecy!**