One of the sure signs that summer is approaching is when the first ripe strawberries make an appearance in the garden. June is a favorite month among many staff at Wagner Farm because we get to enjoy this fruitful bounty for several weeks. Our rhubarb plants also look lovely this time of year, so I put the two together and made a strawberry rhubarb pie a couple weeks ago for folks to enjoy. I started wondering what kinds of recipes my historic cookbooks had for this kind of pie, so I went to one of my favorites: The White House Cookbook from 1887. To my surprise, I only found a recipe for rhubarb pie-strawberries were completely absent! In light of this discovery, I thought I would share the recipe with our readers for your own culinary pleasure. Happy pie baking (and eating!).
Rhubarb Pie
The White House Cookbook
Mrs. F. L Gillette and Hugo Ziemann, 1887
Cut the large stalks off where the leaves commence, strip off the outside skin, then cut the stalks in pieces half an inch long; line a pie-dish with paste rolled rather thicker than a dollar piece, put a layer of the rhubarb nearly an inch deep; to a quart bowl of cut rhubarb put a large teacupful of sugar; strew it over with a saltspoonful of salt and a little nutmeg grated; shake over a little flour; cover with a rich pie-crust, cut a slit in the centre, trim off the edge with a sharp knife, and bake in a quick oven until the pie loosens from the dish. Rhubarb pies made in this way are altogether superior to those made of the fruit stewed.
