Food: Glenda's Glorious Rhubarb Pie

Sometimes I like things that are a little different, things that aren't what they appear to be. Which is probably one of the underlying reasons as to why I like rhubarb. Rhubarb likes to play outside of its designated category...like a tomato, for example. A tomato, although a fruit, is generally not found in a fruit salad or a fruit smoothie (and for good reason...). So is the case for rhubarb when it comes to the vegetable world. Although it is a vegetable, rhubarb won't ever be seen in a succotash or a ratatouille. Instead this veggie prefers to be slightly sweetened and baked into a pie or stewed into a sweet, tangy, warm, gobby mess of goodness.

The recipe I'm sharing with you today is right at the top of my 10 favorite things to eat. And I'm sure some of you who have never had rhubarb are thinking I must be nuts. But trust me. This is a dessert I often requested in the spring when growing up (and still request even now as an adult). A couple of years ago I discovered a local pie place carried rhubarb pie, and you can imagine I was pretty excited. But it truly doesn't hold a candle to the recipe below.

DISCLAIMER: I know parts of this probably came out of a cookbook at some point, so I'm making a disclaimer in advance that if you know where this recipe originated, please send me an e-mail with the source…I want to give credit where credit's due…especially in the case of one of my favorite things :)

Besides my mom's classic pie recipe, here are a couple of other ways you should try rhubarb:

• Roasted Rhubarb (with Greek Yogurt)
• Rhubarb Raspberry Betty (via the Wednesday Chef)
• Country Rhubarb Cake (via the Wednesday Chef)
• Stewed Rhubarb with White Wine and Vanilla Beans (via Orangette)

Glenda's Glorious Rhubarb Pie

via MM's Mom

INGREDIENTS

Crust

• 2 c flour
• 1 t salt
• ⅔ c plus 2 T shortening
• 5 T cold water

Filling

• 1⅓ to 1⅔ c sugar
• ⅓ c flour (MM note: or more...this is your thickening agent)
• ½ t grated orange peel
• 4 c fresh rhubarb (cut into ½" pieces)
• 2 T butter

DIRECTIONS

Crust

- Combine flour and salt in a bowl and cut in shortening with a pastry cutter. Make sure shortening is thoroughly combined.

- Sprinkle in water and mix to form dough.

- Roll dough into two, round pie crusts.

- Line pie pan with one crust, set the other aside.

Filling

- Heat oven to 425 degrees.

- Stir together sugar, flour and orange peel.

- Place half of the rhubarb into pastry lined pie pan and sprinkle with half of the sugar mixture.

- Repeat with remaining rhubarb and sugar; dot with butter. Cover with top crust, cut slits in top,sprinkle with sugar. Cover edges with strips of foil to prevent excessive browning.

- Bake 40 to 50 min. until juices begin to bubble through slits in crust.

- Remove foil the last 15 minutes of baking.