Rhubarb Pie

A few weeks ago I finally planted my vegetable garden.  I didn't put in as much as I have in years past — only tomatoes (though several different varieties) and green peppers.  I usually plant green beans too but they are such a pain to harvest. Tons of them hide amongst the green leaves of the plants, and finding and picking them during our typical hot and buggy summers is quite miserable.  Besides, there's always fresh green beans at our grocery store that taste every bit as good.

I also put in something completely new this year — rhubarb.  (Valentine rhubarb, to be exact.)  I love rhubarb!  There's so much you can make with it — jams, breads, muffins, and pies.  Of course my pie, pictured above, does not contain rhubarb from my garden; it takes several years for rhubarb plants to establish themselves.  But I was able to buy fresh rhubarb at our grocery story last week.

Pastry for 9-inch Two-Crust Pie.  If you don't already have a favorite pie crust recipe, try this one here.

1 1/2 c sugar, plus 1 tbsp

1/3 c flour
4 c cut-up rhubarb (1/2-inch pieces)
2 tbsp butter

Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Prepare pastry.  Mix sugar and flour.  Turn half of the rhubarb into the pastry-lined pie plate; sprinkle with half of the sugar mixture.  Repeat with remaining rhubarb and sugar mixture; dot with butter.  Cover with top crust, seal, flute the edges, cut slits in it, and sprinkle with with 1 tbsp sugar.  Bake 40 to 50 minutes, covering with foil for the last 15 minutes to prevent excessive browning.