em + the kitchen - strawberry raspberry rhubarb pie.

After my visit to Emporium Pies last week, I knew I needed to recreate their seasonal Strawberry Fields pie so I didn't have to pay $6 every time I wanted a slice. It was so good that it was necessary for me to repeat it.
I looked all over for rhubarb pie recipes, but couldn't find exactly what I wanted, so this is sort of a mish-mash of multiple recipes. I suppose it's the first real thing I've created on my own and I'm awfully proud of the result.

Because ya'll. This pie is good. So good.
Don't be scared of rhubarb. I'd never worked with it before this pie and actually had to google "how to prepare rhubarb" if I'm being totally honest here. This pie is worth an embarrassing google search.

Rhubarb is not exactly a fruit, but back when people actually ate plants that were in season, this was the closest thing to a fruit they had in the springtime. After a long winter of limited fruits and no citrus, it certainly would have hit the spot.
Rhubarb is delightfully tart, which is why it pairs so well with sweet strawberries and raspberries and a pie filling heaped with sugar. This pie has a kick to it that serves as a pleasant surprise.

Go find rhubarb at your local farmer's market and then immediately make this pie.
You can thank me later.

Strawberry Raspberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients:
2 pie crusts, chilled (either store-bought or your favorite homemade recipe. I like this recipe and I especially love making my crust in a food processor. Saves so much time!)
1 & 1/3 heaping cups fresh rhubarb, chopped
1 & 1/3 heaping cups fresh strawberries, chopped
1 & 1/3 heaping cups fresh raspberries
1 & 1/2 cups white sugar
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 tbsp unsalted butter, cubed
1 egg white beaten with 1 tsp water

Preheat oven to 425*.

If making homemade pie crust, roll out one half of dough and place in prepared pie dish (I like to coat mine with shortening). If using store-bought, unroll one disk and place in prepared pie dish. Place in fridge to chill while you're working on the filling.

Mix the rhubarb, strawberries, raspberries, sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice, cinnamon, and vanilla extract in a large bowl until all fruits are coated well.
Pour mixture into prepared crust and dot the top of the mixture with small cubed butter.
Brush the edges of the crust with the egg wash.
Roll out the other half of the dough (or 2nd disk from the package) and place on top of the filling.
--Here, I chose to use a cookie cutter to cut a flower out of the pie crust to make it a bit more springy and sweet. Also, this being my first fruit pie, I wanted to make sure the mixture was bubbling when I took it out of the oven. This gave me a very convenient window to peek!
Crimp with fingers or fork to seal the edges, then brush entire top with the egg wash.
Place foil around the edges so they don't get too brown and bake for 15 minutes at 425*.
Decrease temperature to 375* and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until golden brown and the filling begins to bubble.

Enjoy warm or room temp, if you can wait that long!
Let me know how it turns out! I'm so eager for ya'll to try this pie! You may even pick up some extra beggers along the way. ;)

What other foods remind you exclusively of spring?
Asparagus is one I love, as well as fresh, bright peas!
-e.