by GRP Skier Margie Freed

While clearing out the freezer in our athlete house to make room for new food, I stumbled upon the seemingly perfect combo of frozen rhubarb and a jar of strawberries. Rather than freezing my fingers by continuing to dig in the icebox, I decided these two treasures were enough bounty to end my chore. And so I moved on to create a simple and foolproof pie recipe with these freezer finds. Enjoy!

Ingredients: 

(Makes 1 pie)

Pie Crust:
2 ¼ c flour
¼- ½ t salt (only use if using salt free butter)
¾ c salt free butter (if using salted butter, do not add additional salt) 
⅓ c cold water

Filling: Adapted from Sally’s Baking Addiction
3 c chopped rhubarb
2 c chopped strawberries
½ c chopped apple
⅓ c packed brown sugar
⅓ c granulated sugar
¼ c cornstarch
¼ t salt
1 T lime or lemon juice
½ t vanilla extract
1 T oil or softened butter

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400° F. 

For the crust, mix together 2 c flour and salt (reserving ¼ c flour for later). Cut in the butter. Mix together water and remaining ¼ c flour. Cut everything together, without overmixing. Roll out ½ of the dough on a floured surface to make the bottom crust and place in a pie dish. Smooth out any bubbles or creases, and form an edge around the side. Use the other ½ of dough to create lattice strips by rolling out and cutting into ½ - 1” wide strips*. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix the filling ingredients (rhubarb, strawberries, apple, sugars, cornstarch, salt, lime or lemon juice, vanilla, and oil or butter) until thoroughly combined. Spoon this filling into the bottom crust, discarding the liquid remaining in the bowl.

Arrange the lattice over the filling by carefully threading the dough strips over one another, pulling them back as necessary to weave. Crimp the edge with your fingers or a fork and trim any excess dough. 

Place the pie onto a baking sheet to catch any liquid drip and bake for 15 minutes at 400° F. Keep the pie in the oven and turn the temperature down to 350° F, baking for another 35-40 minutes. To prevent the crust from browning too much, place a cover (aluminum foil) on the pie after the first 15 minutes. 

Remove the pie from the oven and let cool for at least 3 hours before serving, allowing the filling to thicken. Store in an airtight container in the fridge and eat within 5 days.

Notes:

*Instead of a lattice to cover the pie, try a crisp topping or a solid pie dough circle (with slits cut as steam vents).