Strawberry Rhubarb Pie with Sour Cream Ice Cream
Thanks for letting me slide a bit this weekend – it was a few days of near-frenzied recipe testing, writing, research, note-taking, laptop shopping and deliberating, punctuated with plenty of eating before Sue hopped in the car to drive back home to the Okanagan. When she left, Mike and W and I went for a long walk at the dog park. When we got home, it might have been understandable to pick up the phone and order a pizza, or to spend the evening engaging in some (any) activity that might not take place in the kitchen. Instead I made sour cream ice cream. Then I baked a strawberry-rhubarb pie. I think as much as anything I was itching to make something for the fun of it, something that had absolutely nothing to do with beans. And if at all possible, everything to do with the imminent arrival of summer.
Of course strawberries aren’t here yet, but W and I bought a big hanging strawberry plant from the garden centre today, with two ruby berries ready to pick and eat as we loaded it into the car. And my rhubarb has shot up practically overnight. So when the strawberries do arrive, I want you to be ready. There must be pie.
I wavered for a bit on going all the way with one – I’m a fan of crumble, which allows the cook to do away with the pastry-making end of things. But really, pastry isn’t that big a deal. The more you make it, the easier it gets. My usual routine is to cut the butter (and shortening or lard, if I’m using some) into the flour in the food processor, blitzing it in without blending it completely (leave some lumps the size of a pea) or touching it (and thus keeping the fat cold), then dumping it out into a bowl to stir in the water by hand (to avoid overworking the gluten, which makes pastry tough). This time I poured the water straight into the food processor after the butter and gingerly pulsed a few extra times, until I wound up with a meal that smeared across the counter and then gathered up easily into a ball. It worked just fine.
But-to lid or leave topless? I’m a fan of rhubarb crumble, so thought I’d get the best of both worlds with an open-faced pie scattered with a sweet rubble of butter, sugar and flour. Really, it’s all just a vehicle for the ice cream.
I got to the point of tossing chunked berries and chopped rhubarb with sugar and cornstarch and rolling out the pastry when I remembered bringing the last of a (red lentil) pumpkin pie across the street. So no pie plate. Not wanting to go freeform with so much filling, I fit the dough into a quiche pan instead, mounded the fruit in the middle and didn’t even bother with the crimping – I had two pots on the stove and could hear the boys and neighbours hanging out in the front and didn’t want to miss out – I just haphazardly folded what was little sticking up around the edges over the filling – sort of a half galette, half pie. Whatever. It was rustic. (Whomever first applied that adjective to food should win a Nobel Prize.) Beauty is in the eye of the eater.
And the sour cream ice cream. I ate most of it before it had a chance to firm up in the freezer – really, it’s best nice and soft, served straight from the ice cream machine. You know that brown sugar-sour cream mixture generally reserved for dipping strawberries? It’s like that, only better. Next on my to-do list: sour cream ice cream made with brown sugar, or with brown sugar swirled in at the end. Bikini isn’t a season for me anyway.
You can get the sour cream ice cream recipe here. So totally worth it. (And so easy – all you do is whisk together sour cream, cream, sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice and drop of vanilla and scrape it into your ice cream maker – no need to make and chill custard.)
Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Pie
AuthorJulie
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Take your pastry dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a dry surface that has been lightly dusted with a combination of flour and sugar (too much flour could dry out your pastry) until it’s about 12” in diameter. Drape the pastry over your rolling pin and transfer it to a pie plate, and fit it inside, letting the edges hang over.
Put the rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, stir together the sugars and cornstarch; add to the fruit and toss gently to combine. Mound into the pie crust.
To make the crumble combine the flour, brown sugar and butter in a small bowl and mix with a fork or your fingers until well combined and crumbly. Sprinkle over the fruit, squeezing it as you go to create larger lumps of crumble. Trim and crimp the edge of the pastry, or just loosely fold it over the filling, even if there isn't much to fold.
Bake the pie (put it on a cookie sheet or pizza pan if you are worried about drips) for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another hour, until the pastry is golden and juices are bubbly. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the pie loosely with foil.
Eat warm, with vanilla ice cream.
Ingredients
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400°F.
Take your pastry dough out of the fridge and roll it out on a dry surface that has been lightly dusted with a combination of flour and sugar (too much flour could dry out your pastry) until it’s about 12” in diameter. Drape the pastry over your rolling pin and transfer it to a pie plate, and fit it inside, letting the edges hang over.
Put the rhubarb and strawberries in a large bowl. In a smaller bowl, stir together the sugars and cornstarch; add to the fruit and toss gently to combine. Mound into the pie crust.
To make the crumble combine the flour, brown sugar and butter in a small bowl and mix with a fork or your fingers until well combined and crumbly. Sprinkle over the fruit, squeezing it as you go to create larger lumps of crumble. Trim and crimp the edge of the pastry, or just loosely fold it over the filling, even if there isn't much to fold.
Bake the pie (put it on a cookie sheet or pizza pan if you are worried about drips) for 20 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and bake for another hour, until the pastry is golden and juices are bubbly. If the crust is browning too quickly, cover the pie loosely with foil.
Eat warm, with vanilla ice cream.
Strawberry rhubarb pie is one of my top 5 favourite pies. I also have many fond memories of eating rhubarb crumble always with french vanilla ice cream.
Your pie looks delicious and would make a great late night (or early morning snack).
Hope all your recipe testing went well and can’t wait to hear more about the book.
Yum! Can’t go wrong with the tangy and sweet combo. Delicious!
Oooh you could have totally gotten away with ordering pizza after all that recipe testing! I seriously don’t know how you do it all Julie – do you ever sleep?
I HAVE to make this pie and the ice cream!(I’ve been dreaming about it since your tweet) I spent hours trying to tame the weeds in our front yard and almost zero time in the kitchen this weekend so I might be able to justify the calories – especially since I need to tackle the backyard next. 🙂
Hi! I just found your blog – love all the amazing recipes!
Great idea, the bottom crust pastry, the top a crumble…the best of both worlds. I’ll have to check to see if my rhubarb stalks are tall enough to cut yet but will have to resort to the imported (read woody) strawberries for this pie. Sigh…soon though, the real thing picked sun-warm from the garden. Thanks for the inspiration!
YUM all caps for sure.
You read my mind! I just pulled my first modest crop of rhubarb last night and I came here to see what I should do with it. Your pie looks delicious…I can’t wait to try it!
Sigh.
I think it’s so funny that you’re apologizing for not posting for a couple of days! While of course I (we) love you posting as frequently as possible, you aren’t obliged to.
Thanks for the yummy recipe… I totally understand baking for yourself vs. the obligatory baking. Julie — you’re amazing.
Please put your falafel recipe in your beans cookbook.
I made it last night and it was a big hit.
That photo of the sour cream ice cream all nestled up and cozy with the pie? Well, I almost fell over. Crumbles and pies are S’s favourites, and ice cream is mine. You’ve just made us really happy.
That photo of the sour cream ice cream all nestled up and cozy with the pie? Well, I almost fell over. Crumbles and pies are S’s favourites, and ice cream is mine. Brilliant.
How would the recipe work with no pastry crust but just the crumble topping? Thanks,Sarah
How would the recipe work with no pastry crust but just the crumble topping? Thanks,Sarah
Sarah – it should work just fine! It would just make a crumble. Yum.
Beautiful pie and the ice cream. Oh wow! I made a Rhubarb/Raspberry/Strawb pie over the weekend too and it would have been incredible with the ice cream …just going to have to do it all again this weekend!
Are you still looking for a name for your book? My kids were singing “Beans beans, the musical fruit….” tonight. How about : “beans and grains, the more you eat, the better you feel”.
Just a thought.
I like Kelly’s book title. Yeah. And! I cannot wait to try the ice cream. We just finally got an ice cream maker after not having one for many years and this sounds divine. All we’ve tried so far was brown cow slushies, and buttermilk sherbet. I know what’s next! Also, I will *patiently* wait for the real strawberries, but meanwhile make an all rhubarb pie.
Made the ice cream today. Oh my word. It could very well be my new favorite, the perfect pairing for all fruit desserts. Forget plain old vanilla.
Definitely agree with you about the term rustic! I’m intrigued by this “smeared across the counter and then gathered up easily into a ball” thing. Why would you do that after using a food processor? Wouldn’t you be concerned about overworking the dough or something? Hm. And that sour cream ice cream.. I must try it.
Daaaammmm howd you get that layout yo! its FREESSHH!!
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