Bluebarb Pie

Adapted from Joy of Cooking

Servings: 8

Crust Ingredients

Whisk together:

• 2 ½ cups flour

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp sugar

• Cut in using a pastry blender until the butter chunks are the size of small peas and the mixture looks mostly consistent:

  • ½ cup + 2 tablespoons butter

  • ½ cup shortening

Steps to make the crust

1. Using a rubber spatula, add ¼ cup ice water. Mix with the side of the rubber spatula. Add 1 tablespoon water if dough hasn’t come together yet. (I usually end up adding a few tablespoons)

2. Divide the dough in half and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or up to 3 days. Dough can also be frozen for up to a month.

Pie Ingredients

• 4 cups rhubarb cut into 1-inch segments

• 1 cup blueberries

• 1 cup sugar

• 1/4 cup cornstarch

• 1/4 tsp salt

• 2 tbsp butter

• Milk or cream (about 1 tbsp)

• 2 teaspoons raw sugar

Steps to make the pie

1. Combine blueberries, rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a bowl.  Let sit for 15 minutes - mixture will become very juicy.  

2. Preheat oven to 425.

Assembling the Pie

1. Prepare pie crusts:

   1. I wipe the counter with a wet rag and put down two pieces of saran wrap.

   2. Then I put the crust and put two more pieces of saran wrap over it.

      1. It allows me to roll out the crust without using extra flour and if I’m bringing a crust somewhere or freezing it, I keep it in the saran wrap.

      2. Yes it’s a waste of saran wrap but I tried the silicone mat and it didn’t work. This is the easiest for me.

2. Pour pie into pie crust.  Top with small pieces of butter, cut up and spread out over the top. ( I forget to add the butter at least 1/2 the time)

3. Cover with pie crust - either pricked, vented, or lattice.  

4. Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with milk and sprinkle with sugar (I like to use raw sugar, but regular sugar works too).

5. Bake for 30 minutes, then lower the heat to 350 and bake for another 25-30 minutes (until juices are thick and bubbling).  Cool completely on a rack.

   1. If the crust starts getting too brown, cover the edges with foil or a pie crust shield.

   2. Fruit pies always leak in the oven, so put a cookie sheet underneath the pie.

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I LOVE this pie. I am currently on my best version yet and I’m guessing I will keep tweaking it forever and ever. As I get older I tend to make the pie more tart and less sweet. Right now I love that I can clearly taste the blueberry and rhubarb. Neither ingredient overpowers the other. The idea for this pie started in college when a friend shared some blueberry rhubarb jam her dad had made with me. Graham crackers with cream cheese and blueberry rhubarb jam. It was soooo delicious that when I learned to make jam years later it was the first recipe I attempted. Turns out I love making jam, but I don’t eat much of it. But I still wanted to put those flavors together.

I really like strawberry rhubarb pie, but it was so sweet and I think the rhubarb flavor gets lost. And then there was the summer that I decided to make a pie every week so I could work on making my crusts as pretty as the filling. It was really spurred on when Nancy Baker made a pie after ages of not making pies and it was so pretty. My pies have improved quite a bit, but they still aren’t as pretty as the ones Nancy Baker makes. Turns out she has natural talent in addition to years of practice. As with most things, Nancy Baker’s natural flair for competency and kindness means you can’t really get mad. Even when all the dogs I have ever had look at her with adoration. Adding insult to injury was the look of disappointment Maddie had when I would return from a trip and she was again stuck with me. I think Nancy Baker is pretty great so I’m working to feel honored that others agree.

My crusts shrink away from the edge a bit, but I do love that I have gotten pretty good at making the word “YUM” my pie vent because it is so true! I also learned from Moose and Sadies that raw sugar on the crust is superior to regular sugar. It adds a bit of crunch to the final product. I often get complimented on how delicious my crust is and what works for me is wiping down the counter and putting saran wrap on top of it (The moisture holds the saran wrap in place). I put down the dough and put more saran wrap on top of it. Then I don’t have to add a lot of flour to roll out the crust. It also makes it easier to freeze or roll up and take places for instant use. If you have never made a crust and don’t want to, please call. I love making them. They are so simple.

Janine bought me this pie plate for my birthday and as you can see in the pictures, it’s the one I use the most. She is the best at getting me kitchen stuff I didn’t know I needed but love dearly. It is a magical skill. The silicone cookie sheet liners and and saucier pan are also my favorite. I am super particular about the things in my kitchen. They must be usable and an added bonus if they are also beautiful OR hilarious. But first they must be usable. When Beth and I were in NYC we got to see Yotam Ottolenghi and Helen Koh be interviewed by Ruth Reichl at 92nd Street Y and I asked what their favorite kitchen tools were. Yotam’s tool was a citrus juicer and Helen’s was a fish spatula. I did not buy the citrus juicer because I am already attached to a cheap tupperware one that keeps the seeds pretty much out of the juice, but I did get the fish spatula and I use it for everything from cookies to poached eggs. I love that it’s slotted and thin and wide at the end. My favorite part was that Ruth said it was a good question. RUTH SAID IT WAS A GOOD QUESTION! I kept hitting Beth in my joy. I’m so sorry Bethy Fred. You found that great talk and sorted out the tickets and got smacked for it. Is it better if it was an unrestrained joyful smacking? Probably not.

The other pie plate was a gift from the agency I typically work through at big clients. When I was a senior manager I loved working with Valere because they always found me good candidates and then when Cathy went there it made it even easier. Cathy had me do some workshops for Valere and part of my contract was bringing baked goods for all in person meetings. It was the nicest compliment. I do love bringing baked goods into the office. Before covid, it was a great way to bring people together and share something delicious. I got to bake in the morning and not have it go to waste. There were enough people in the office that everyone got some without folks feeling like they had to eat it all. There was a time at one client where there were so many folks that I set up a monthly meeting called “Let them eat cake.” I created a sharepoint where folks put their birthdays and favorite cake and I chose from that for the month. Those who had a birthday would be guaranteed a piece and everyone else had to show up for first come first served. Most of the meetings at that place started 8 minutes late. People showed up for my meeting 5-10 minutes early. I really love making something delicious and it’s always satisfying when others agree.

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Supplies

(I’ll get a small cut if you click on these links and buy them)

OXO good grips fish turner

Emile Henry Pie Dish