A Little Bit of Summer, in February

There’s nothing like enjoying the flavours of summertime in the middle of the winter.

Recently, in a deliciously warm cottage located on a pristine lake somewhere in the Muskokas, some friends and I were talking about pie. Pie is the greatest, we agreed, although we weren't complaining about the delicious chocolate cake we were gobbling down. Among the topics touched upon were the hilarious cake vs. pie debate we all agree is the best episode that the CBC Radio’s The Debaters has ever made, and a discussion of our favourite types of pie.

I, personally, have lots of favourite types of pie. My choice pretty much depends what season of the year it is. Lemon meringue is that all-season favourite that everybody loves (or so I thought, until I found out that my good friend Rhonda hates it!). Pumpkin is a fall favourite for sure... there is nothing like a delicious slice of spicy pumpkin pie after a thanksgiving or Christmas dinner. In the heat of summertime, any type of berry pie with [homemade] vanilla ice cream tastes like heaven. But for me, the ultimate pie is strawberry-rhubarb. I love the tangy tartness of the rhubarb, sweetened by fresh strawberries. To me, it is an icon of summer. And if the ingredients were harvested the same day that the pie was made, all the better.

This time of year the rhubarb and strawberries are all hiding under the snow, but luckily frozen rhubarb and strawberries work just as well. Of course, the taste is not quite comparable to fresh rhubarb and strawberries straight from the garden or local strawberry farm, but I’ll take frozen rhubarb and berries over no pie at all! Last summer, I managed to acquire an unnecessarily large quantity of rhubarb from a friend at work. I was making a rhubarb dessert for a workplace snack making contest, but ended up with way more rhubarb than I needed. The extra rhubarb was okay with me—and it’s even more okay with me now that I get to reap the benefits from the freezer in the middle of winter.

Unfortunately this year I didn’t have a freezer full of strawberries (unlike last year—I think my sister and I overdid it), so store bought berries had to suffice. Still, I think it turned out to be a pretty yummy pie!

Strawberry-Rhubarb Pie

Use your favourite pie recipe. Everybody has one, and if you don’t, my mother recommends the recipe on the Crisco box. I prefer shortening, but word on the street is that lard makes the best pie. I don’t notice the difference enough to care.

If there is one thing my mother definitely taught me about making pie, it is that you must not handle the crust too much. Mix it until it is just combined, and roll it as little as possible. If you have to roll it twice, the crust will not be flaky. But don’t fret! It will still be delicious, delicious pie.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Filling:

- 3 cups of fresh or frozen rhubarb
- 3 cups of fresh or frozen strawberries (my pie had a few other types of berries mixed in)
- ¾ cup of sugar
- 1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp brown sugar

Mix the filling together, making sure the berries are well coated in sugar and flour. With frozen filling, it’s a good idea to let the fruit thaw a bit before baking. If you don’t want to wait, adjust cooking times accordingly—it will take a pie made with frozen fruit a bit longer to bake through.

Top the pie with pastry or a crumbly streusel topping. Your choice! If you choose the crust, make sure to brush it with milk or egg whites. This looks pretty, and will help fix any little flaws or mistakes in the crust, too. Bake at 375 degress for 25 minutes, then increase temperature to 425 for another 20 minutes or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.

Voila! A little taste of summertime. This should hold me through until at least mid-March (but it probably won't last that long!).