Sometimes those random holidays like National Apple Day, National Bike Day, or something even crazier can be perfect for having an excuse to eat delicious food. Today is National Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie Day, so it is only right to celebrate this holiday with a great strawberry-rhubarb pie recipe. This vegetable has been in most of my life, I was fortunate to grow up with my southern great grandparents and my great grandmother made the best rhubarb cobbler you could get your hands on. However, for today’s holiday, I thought I would mix things up a bit.

If you are a little lost on what rhubarb is; rhubarb is actually a vegetable that is more common in the north of the United States. It is hard to believe that a vegetable made it into a desert, but rhubarb is amazingly sweet when cooked. The strawberries also make the rhubarb sweeter which is why they go so well together. On the contrary, do not eat rhubarb by itself. It is the most tart food I have ever put in my mouth, so it is no wonder they are eaten in pies, cakes, and cobblers. Enjoy this awesome recipe from Sally’s Baking Recipes (sallysbakingaddiction.com) that I had the pleasure to make.

Note: For the crust, I used a family recipe, but it is easiest to buy already made crust at the store that you just have to roll out.

Strawberry-rhubarb pie:

Prep time: 3 hours

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 7 hours

Ingredients:

• 3 cups sliced rhubarb (1/2 inch pieces)
• 2 and 1/2 cups chopped strawberries
• 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon of orange juice
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 Tablespoons of unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten with 1 Tablespoon of milk
• optional: coarse sugar for garnish

Directions:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
• Stir the rhubarb, strawberries, brown sugar, granulated sugar, cornstarch, salt, orange juice, and vanilla extract together in a large bowl. 
• Make pie crust
• On a floured work surface, roll out one of the rolls of dough. Turn the dough about a quarter turn after every few rolls until there is a result of a  circle 12 inches in diameter. Carefully place the dough into a 9×2 inch pie dish. Tuck it in with fingers, making sure it is smooth. Spoon the filling into the crust, leaving all of the excess liquid in the bowl. Dot the pieces of butter on top of the filling.
• Remove the other pie dough from the refrigerator. Roll the dough into a circle that is 12 inches in diameter. Using a pastry wheel, sharp knife, or pizza cutter, cut strips 1/2 – 1 inch wide. Carefully thread the strips over and under one another, pulling back strips as necessary to weave. Press the edges of the strips into the bottom pie crust edges to seal. Use a small knife to trim off excess dough. Crimp the edges with a fork, if desired. (Alternatively, simply cover the filling with the 12-inch pie dough circle. Cut slits in the top to form steam vents. Trim and crimp the edges.)
• Lightly brush the top of the pie crust with the egg/milk mixture. Sprinkle the top with a little coarse sugar, if desired
• Place the pie onto a large baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes. Keeping the pie in the oven, turn the temperature down to 350°F and bake for an additional 30-35 minutes. 
• Allow the pie to cool for 3 full hours at room temperature before serving. This time allows the filling to thicken up.