Rhubarb Strawberry Pie

It's that time of year, Memorial Day, cook-outs, flower planting, garden watering, and lawn games. It's like a brand new day here in Michigan because people in other parts of the country have been able to have been planting flowers and enjoying cookouts for the last few months, but the season is just starting here. It's a beautiful thing. This weekend I bought some fresh rhubarb from the farmer's market and some organic strawberries and decided on making a rhubarb- strawberry something. So I landed on making a pie. This pie is vegan/gluten free and so it may be a little more like a rhubarb-strawberry crisp when cutting it, but it is tasty either way and can be enjoyed by many. Rhubarb is such an interesting fruit, or plant I guess. It is most only traditionally used in pies and breads in the spring time when it blooms , and it is actually a vegetable from the rhizome or root family. It also has been used as a medicinal vegetable for many years coming from ancient origins of Asia.  This great addition to the spring harvest makes a delectable pie and that is why it has been coined "the pie plant" for years. What a better way to join in the holiday fun with a warm rhubarb pie from the oven. 

Pie Crust Recipe:

1 heaping cup ground almonds (grind raw almonds in a coffee grinder)

1 cup of Bob's Red Mill sweet sorghum flour

1/3 cup of sucanat

1/2 cup of spectrum's organic palm oil shortening

dash of sea salt

Mix with a fork and pour into a pie pan or if you want to make more flat, then a 8x8 or 9x6 pan will work too. Firmly press the sticky pie crust down on the bottom of the pan and edges if possible.  Press till the pan is covered and firm, and then poke a few fork holes along the sides before putting in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Make sure it is brown and baked after 20 minutes, pull out of the oven and then let cool before putting in the pie mixture.

Pie Filling:

In a sauce pan mix up,

2 cups of washes and diced organic strawberries

3 cups of washed and diced rhubarb stalks

1/3 cup of brown rice syrup

1/2 cup of sucanat

3 TB of corn starch

juice from 1/2 of orange, or 1 lemon

1 TB of orange or lemon zest

1 ts of cinnamon

1 ts of ground cloves

Mix in sauce pan until boils, and then continue on lower heat for up to 15 minutes until the mix is thick and juicy with flavor. The strawberries and rhubarb will break down and become a thick sauce, and let sit in the sauce pan simmering and thickening until you pour into the cooled pie crust. If you want to taste test on your stir-spoon make sure it cool a second or two. It is a good way to test if it is sweet enough. Add a little more syrup or sucanat if it is still super tart. 

Pie Topping Mix:

1/2- 3/4 cup of ground almonds

1 cup of ground gluten free oats in a coffee grinder (gf oat flour)

1/2 cup gluten free oats

3/4 cup of sucanat

1/2 cup of spectrum organic palm oil shortening

it you want to add more spice some cinnamon would be a good choice

Fork mix the above ingredients in a mixing bowl and then crumble over the pie filling until covered. You don't have to cover the whole pie if you want to design something or only lightly cover with the topping. 

Bake underneath a baking sheet for about 50 minutes to 1 hour at 350 degrees. You will see the pie filling bubbling and you will know it is done. Let it stand for a few minutes out of the oven before serving. It can be messy so make sure you let it cool just a while so that it's a bit easier.

I loved making this pie and it tastes so good too. 

I served my pie with some vegan coconut vanilla ice cream and it was heavenly. I hope you enjoy the holiday weekend with friends or family and remember those who are being honored this holiday. 

Enjoy friends!