May 17, 2012- Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard

The garden is beginning to produce quite a bit of food for us now.  It seems as though we have something every day, from fresh salads to soups to desserts!  

Fresh garden spinach and a Walla Walla sweet onion that weighed nearly 4 ounces made a delicious spinach salad with hot bacon dressing.  It was served with bread made in the bread machine, rather than the oven, due to the unseasonably hot day (94F).  

Freshly picked celery and parsley went into the pot with a chicken carcass for a lunch of chicken noodle soup, grilled cheese sandwiches and chips.

And best of all......

....was the pie, made with the first harvest of rhubarb from the garden!

Granny's Rhubarb Custard Pie with Thomas' Perfect Pie Crust

Thomas' Perfect Pie Crust 

(this is the best pie crust I've ever tasted! )

   2 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt (I used 3/4 tsp. regular salt)

2/3 stick of unsalted butter (chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

3/4 cup of vegetable shortening (chilled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

1/2 cup of ice water

In a large shallow bowl, mix the flour and salt together. Using a pastry cutter/fork, incorporate the butter and shortening until the mixture resembles a coarse meal (you should still have rather large bits of butter and shortening when you're done). Slowly drizzle in the ice water and mix with a wooden spoon. Transfer the dough onto a floured work surface, and fold it together using your hands. The dough should come together easily but should not feel overly sticky. Cut the dough in half and shape into balls. Wrap each in cellophane and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Rhubarb custard filling:

1-1/2  cups  sugar (we like our pies sweet, you may want to use less)

1/4 cup  all-purpose flour

4 cups  fresh sliced rhubarb (1/2" slices)

1  beaten egg

2 Tbsp. butter

In mixing bowl, combine sugar and flour. Add the rhubarb. Gently toss until coated.  Stir in beaten egg.  Let mixture sit for a few minutes while pastry is rolled out and fitted into a 9" pie plate.  

On a lightly floured surface, roll out half of the pastry and fit into a 9-inch pie plate. Trim to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate for lattice top, or trim even with rim for a two-crust pie.

Stir the rhubarb again to completely incorporate the egg and sugar mixture.  Transfer to the pasty-lined pie plate.  Dot with butter.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out remaining dough  cut slits for steam to escape or cut into 1/2-inch-wide strips for lattice top. Place pastry over filling and weave strips over top for lattice. Press ends of strips into crust rim and fold bottom pastry over strips. For a two-crust pie, trim top crust to 1/2 inch beyond edge of pie plate; fold extra pastry under bottom pastry and flute edge. If you like, sprinkle top of crust with additional sugar and sprinkle with cinnamon .

To prevent overbrowning, cover edge of pie with foil. Bake in a 375 degree F oven for 25 minutes for fresh fruit (50 minutes for frozen). Remove foil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes more or until top is golden. Cool on wire rack.

Thursday's Kitchen Cupboard is hosted by Robin at The Gardener of Eden.  Robin is on vacation this week, so Jody from Spring Garden Acre is the temporary host.