When Elaine Beller told her this story, Penelope couldn’t decide whether it was a Pie in the Sky or a Pie in the Eye moment. Being an optimist, she decided to see the pie plate as half full. “When I was going out with Alfred, a.k.a. The Most Pompous Man I Ever Dated, he insisted I bake a homemade pie for us to bring to a Very Important Party one of his clients was hosting. Baking is not my strong suit, but shopping is. So I went to my local bakery and selected a luscious looking strawberry rhubarb pie, fit for any occasion, ‘country, yet chic.’ (Alfred’s favorite adjective combo). Then came the hard part, finding a pie plate that exactly matched the sides and edging of my store-bought beauty. There was a Pyrex dish that came close, but was just a smidgen too small. A dozen stores later, I found the perfect pie plate in a deep burgundy that also complemented the rhubarb brilliantly. I brought it home, dusted it with flour, dotted it with butter, and popped it in the oven to get that just-having-been-baked in patina. After it cooled, I carefully lowered in the pie. Voila! Alfred’s Girlfriend’s Famous Strawberry Rhubarb Pie was born. I was a hit. The Pie was a hit. Alfred, however, was over. ”Seriously, if he can’t appreciate the real you, what’s left?

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Penelope’s Ultimate Pie Crust or your own favorite

  1. 1 cup sugar
  2. 3 tbs cornstarch
  3. ¼ tsp salt
  4. 1¼ rhubarb stalks, peeled and sliced into ½ inch piecesabout 4 cups
  5. 2 cups strawberries, stemmed and quartered
  6. 2 tbs unsalted butter, in bits

Preheat the oven to 425° and prepare the pie crust

In a large bowl stir together the sugar, cornstarch and salt

Add the rhubarb and strawberries and toss until they’re well mixed

Pile the fruit mixture into the pastry-lined pan and dot with the butter bits

Cover with the top crust; trim and flute the edges

Don’t forget to cut some vents in the top so the steam can escape. When they get together, rhubarb and strawberries are a pretty hot item.

Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350° and bake until the juices are bubbling and the crust is browned, about 30-40 minutes longer

Makes one 9 inch double crust pie