Rhubarb, a tart seasonal fruit which usually grows in abundance, is generously shared from neighbor to neighbor, friend to friend, relative to relative, etc. Many children have fond memories of eating freshly picked rhubarb stalks dipped in sugar at one time or another. If you share these memories I bet the juices in your mouth just started flowing. : )
Most often rhubarb is cooked into jams, sauces and pies. Faithfully, for many years, my abundant rhubarb patch has supplied me with enough of a harvest to be able to make many a jar of my favorite jam to enjoy through the winter season, enabled me to bake as many pies as I chose to bake and provided additional crop to share with others. This year the stalks grew tall and very thin so after doing some on-line research I determined it will be necessary to dig and separate them for replanting in the fall. For 24 years this rhubarb patch has proven successful so I'm looking forward to giving it this makeover to ensure another 24 years of good production.For several years I would spend one day each year with my mother baking as many rhubarb pies as we could physically handle; she made a wicked crust and I made a wicked filling. Assembly-line fashion we would assemble and bake 10-14 pies (we had two ovens going at a time.) After the pies cooled each would be wrapped in it's glass pie plate appropriately for freezing. We both owned large freezers which housed them through the winter. For serving as dessert on a cold winter day, it was only necessary to pull out a frozen pie, place it in the oven (or toaster oven) until heated through, and serve - with or without ice cream. Nothing, absolutely nothing, can ever surpass the memories of this time spent with my mom and the rewards of our fruits of labor.....reason being why I want to share this terrific recipe for our old-time rhubarb pie.
RHUBARB PIE
(filling)
3 c. rhubarb, diced
1 3/4 c. sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pie crust for one pie
butter
Combine rhubarb and sugar; let set until juice appears.
Add eggs, milk, flour and cinnamon to rhubarb.
Pour mixture into pie shell; dot with butter.
Cover with top crust.
Put slits into top crust to avoid bubbling over.
Bake at 400 degrees for 50 minutes to 1 hour
(until bottom crust is brown.)
Tip: cover edge of crust with foil to prevent burning.
PIE CRUST
(makes 1 top and 1 bottom)
combine:
3 c. flour
1 1/2 c. Crisco
1 tsp. salt
mix in separate bowl:
1 egg beaten
1 tsp. white vinegar
12 c. half & half or milk
drop of vanilla
Combine all ingredients.
Separate into two balls wrapping each individually
in plastic wrap.
Store overnight in refrigerator or freeze for better roll-out
ENJOY!!!
