Mom's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Every so often I mention that I love pie.  I mean I love everything about pie.  I love crust.  I love filling.  I love the crimped edges.  I love the smell of it in the oven.   I love pie.  And this is my all time favorite pie in the whole world. 

So go ahead.  Say it's old fashioned.  Say it's been done.  But this is my mom's recipe.  This is just plain good. 






Mom's Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

1 homemade double pie crust.  Recipe of your choice.

1 1/3 c. sugar
1/3 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. grated orange peel

3 c. rhubarb, cleaned and cut.  My mom's notes say "1/2 inch pieces," and I always do what my mother says.

2 c. strawberries.  We are still using California strawberries.  They aren't ripe yet here.  But there is always hope.

2 T. butter.  My mother's recipe actually calls for margarine, but I haven't used it for many years

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. 

Mix sugar, flour and orange peel in a small bowl and set aside.  In another bowl, mix the fruit.

Turn half of the fruit into prepared bottom pie crust; sprinkle with half the sugar mixture. 

Repeat with remaining fruit and sugar.  Dot the top of the pie with small pieces of the butter.  Top with the pie crust.  Crimp the edges and poke slits in the crust for air to escape.  

Cover the edges with aluminum foil or other protection from getting too brown. 

My Mom's notes say "Bake until crust is brown and juice begins to bubble through the slits in the crust, 40 to 50 minutes."  Mom never had a clean oven a day in her life and neither have I.