hello.

Sometimes I get a little too excited.  So excited I talk too fast, move too quickly, and seem to loose control over my ability to keep my hands in check when I talk. Inevitable I knock something over, make a mess- or sometimes both.  Like yesterday, when in the grocery store I was thinking about rhubarb, and then there it was, and in my zeal to get there I knocked over an entire display of avocados.


An entire display.


There is just so much I want to say about this...

The first thing: good morning.  I've really missed them. It's true what they say about early birds and worms, but really I'm just happy to be awake and making pie. The fact that I am once again up and enjoying my mornings is also testament to the fact that spring is here. What better way to welcome back daylight than with pie. Specifically, sweet, tart, lemony, strawberry-rhubarb pie...


I know I say this a lot, about almost everything sweet, but there is something about strawberry rhubarb pie that is almost magical.


I think it's the rhubarb.

Or maybe it's this.

Don't get me wrong, I love strawberries, but rhubarb.... rhubarb as a fruit, or maybe a vegetable, is an entirely different beast. It looks like swiss chard, is partially poisonous, and as a kid I used to play fairy inside a giant rhubarb bush that grew in our backyard. Plus, for me this pie conjures up images of picnic tables, sunflowers, and plaid. Three of my favorite things... 


It's a fruit with oh so many uses.


My favorite though by far is this...

Also. That is what pie looks like by candle light. Very romantic... 




There are a few tricks with this pie, but other than that its simple.  Mostly, when it comes to baking I like to bake my pie for 20 minutes at 400 and then 25-30 at 350.  I find it helps turn the crust that delightful golden brown color. 


Also I use a lot of lemon in the filling. At least 2 lemons worth of juice. I don't know what that works out to in terms of measurements, probably about 2 tablespoons, but just eyeball it- and of course taste, taste, taste. 


I also use a combination of white and brown sugar, leaning a little heavier on the white sugar, totally around 3/4 to 1 cup depending on how sweet you like your pie.  The strawberries add a lot of sweetness, but the rhubarb is tart and needs sugar. For this particular pie I used 1/2 cup white and 1/4 brown sugar. It probably could have been sweeter, but I like things tart. 


Finally, I've started doing my dough by hand. It takes a bit longer but I love it. I'm gonna buy myself a pastry cutter this weekend and then who knows, I may take over the world.