Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

My brother Grant and I were jabber-jawing the other day, and he asked me if I remembered our Great Aunt Effie's strawberry rhubarb pie.  Do I ever!  It was the first time I had ever had strawberry rhubarb pie and we both agreed, it was love at first bite.  Aunt Effie, a tall, big-boned, taciturn Vermonter,  was my grandfather's sister.  She ran a boarding house, making meals for the lodgers every day of her life.  I was only 12 years or so, sat silently in her kitchen, watching her in awe, as she sternly rolled out the dough and threw together a pie lickety-split, no recipe required.  To this day I don't think I've ever had a pie as good as the one she made, but then I wonder, is any pie, like a kiss, any sweeter than the first.

I tried a new pie crust recipe made with a food processor.  I loved the way it worked up, it looked and handled beautifully, but despair at the way it turned out.  Can you say tough?  Oh my!  So I left the crust and ate the filling, which is very very good!

Glazed Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

(Farm Journal's Homemade Pies, Cookies, & Bread)

Pasty for 2-crust pie
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt (also known as a "pinch")
1/3 cup flour (I used cornstarch)
2 cups fresh strawberries, washed, dried, hulled, cut in halves
2 cups (1-inch pieces) fresh rhubarb
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, diced
1 tablespoon sugar
1 egg beaten with one tablespoon water (if desired, for glazing)

Combine the 1 1/4 cup sguar, salt and flour in a small bowl. 

In a separate bowl, combine the strawberries and rhubarb.  Pour half the fruits into a pastry-lined, 9-inch pie pan.  Sprinkle with half the sugar mixture.  Repeat with remaining fruit and sugar mixture. 

Dot the top with butter.

Apply the top crust, and flute the edges and make vent holes, or make a lattice top.  Brush top of pie with either cold water and sprinkle on one tablespoon sugar or brush with the beaten egg and water mixture and sprinkle with sugar.  (The egg wash gives a shiny glaze.)

Bake in a preheated 425*F oven, 40 to 50 minutes or until rhubarb is tender and crust is browned.

My Notes:  I think I had my pie on too low a rack.  The crust was very dark at the end of 50 minutes but the juices had not thickened, even after sitting for 3 hours.  I raised the oven rack,  covered the pie with tin foil, and put it back in a 350*F oven for 30 minutes,  The pie thickened up nicely.  Whew!

Here's a question for you.  Lots of folks have issues with a pie like this being too runny, and I admit it can be hard to gauge just how much thickener to add.  I want to say that my Aunt Effie started her pie filling on the stove first and then added it to the pie crust.  Anyone heard of that before?  I can't seem to find a recipe that supports the hazy memory.

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