The rhubarb I planted last year has survived the winter. I harvested my first batch of stalks the other day and turned them into a retro-style rhubarb-strawberry custard pie. I've been having slices for breakfast the last couple days. This is my favorite way to make a rhubarb pie because the creamy custard base rounds out the tartness from the rhubarb really well. Here's the recipe if you want to give it a whirl:
4 cups rhubarb, chopped in 1 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and sliced
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 C flour
1 tsp lemon zest
pinch of salt
3 Tbsp cream
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
Put a foil lined cookie sheet on the lower middle oven rack and preheat oven to 400 degrees. Make your favorite pie crust recipe and line a 9 inch pie dish.
Whisk together the sugar, flour, pinch of salt, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the cream, eggs, and egg yolks and whisk until smooth and combined. Add the prepared rhubarb and strawberries to egg/sugar mixture and stir. Pour the fruit/custard mixture into the dough-lined pie dish. Put the top on the pie (you can do a lattice top like me or just cut some vents and do a standard top crust). Brush the top crust with cream and sprinkle liberally with sugar (raw or demerara sugar works best if you have it).
Bake for 50-60 minutes until filling is bubbly (be prepared for a little spillage... thus the reason for the foil-lined baking sheet). Let cool for several hours before eating.
