charmcitycook: Dear rhubarb, I love you.

Rhubarb is coming soon to a market near you!

This wonderfully tart vegetable is one of those things you either love or hate. Like, say...oysters or tapioca or olives. (I love all of those things...duh.) And, I am way on the love side of rhubarb. Pies, jams, syrups, um...vodka? Yum.

When selecting rhubarb at the grocery store or farmers market, look for stalks that are firm and dark pink/red. Light pink stalks can also be just fine in most recipes...but for jams, etc, I try to use red stalks, as they are more visually striking. One very important detail if you grow rhubarb: the leaves are poisonous and should not be ingested. I've fallen hard for rhubarb, my friends...much like I did for figs a few years ago. Now I have rhubarb growing in the back yard right next to my fig tree. I just have to figure out how to chicken-proof it - they eat everything!

Here's a very tasty and simple recipe for strawberry rhubarb pie. Every time I make it, I'm asked for the recipe. I've even traded it with friends for home improvement projects (okay, I give them really good beer from The Wine Source sometimes, too...)

Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

Ingredients

1 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 pound fresh rhubarb, chopped
2 pints fresh strawberries, sliced
1 recipe pastry for a 9 inch double crust pie
2 tablespoons butter
1 egg yolk
2 tablespoons white sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees

In a large bowl, mix flour and sugar. Add strawberries and chopped rhubarb. Toss with sugar and flour and let stand for 30 minutes.

Pour filling into pie crust. Dot top with butter, and cover with top crust. Seal edges of top and bottom crust with water.

Apply egg yolk to top of pie, using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with sugar. Cut small holes in top to let steam escape.

Bake at 400 degrees for 35 to 40 minutes, or until bubbly and brown. Cool on rack.

Serve with a scoop of good vanilla ice cream.