I'm Back!

What a week! It was exhausting...but it's over. The kids are done with school and we are officially on our break.... Thank Goodness! I spent the weekend re-grouping and attempting to relax a little and yesterday  went antiquing for the afternoon up in Richmond and came home with a few treasures and the yummiest homegrown strawberries and rhubarb so last night for dessert we had warm Strawberry-Rhubarb pie with French vanilla ice cream and it was TDF.

But now it's Monday and time to get back to work. My studio looks a bit like Katherine Heigl's closet in 27 Dresses. There are samples hung all over the place and I am so anxious to take Abby on a photo shoot. We wanted to do it yesterday but the weather wasn't cooperating so it looks like it will have to wait until next weekend, but in the meantime I will keep on sewing and writing patterns. "Hillary" and "Audrey" will soon be ready to be released and then I will begin working on the next bunch.

I am so ready to get back to work.

But I couldn't leave without sharing this fabulous recipe....

Strawberry~Rhubarb Pie

Pie crust dough, for a double crust

4 cups strawberries, whole if they are smallish, cut in half or quarters if they are large

3 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1/2 inch slices

¾ cup granulated sugar

½ teaspoon orange zest

8 whole peppercorns, ground (or 1/8^th teaspoon ground pepper)

6 whole cardamom pods, husk removed and seeds ground (or 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom)

3 tablespoons instant tapioca

1 tablespoon butter, chilled and cut into 6 pieces

Egg for egg wash and additional sugar for dusting the crust

Divide the pie crust dough and roll out half of it to cover a 9-inch pie plate. Leave a ½ inch overhang of dough around the edge and don't crimp the edges until after the top layer of dough is added. Place in the refrigerator until the filling is ready.

Position the oven racks in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 400°F.

In a large mixing bowl add the strawberries and rhubarb. Place the sugar in a small bowl and add the orange zest. Using your fingers rub the zest into the sugar to distribute it and release the orange oils. Set aside.

Grind the peppercorns and cardamom seeds in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Add the instant tapioca and grind again to break it down into smaller pieces (if you don't have a grinder and are using pre-ground spices you can certainly use the instant tapioca as-is right out of the box).

Combine the ground spices and tapioca with the sugar and stir to combine. Add the sugar mixture to the fruit and mix well. Set aside.

Roll out the dough for the top crust. If making a lattice crust, cut about 10 strips ¾"wide. Transfer the pie filling into the pie pan lined with the bottom crust. Place the pieces of butter randomly over the top of the filling. Cover the pie with the top crust or weave the lattice strips to cover the pie. If using a solid top crust, cut a few vent holes in it and then crimp the edges to adhere the top and bottom crusts together.  

Beat the egg with a tablespoon of water and brush the egg wash over the crust. Sprinkle the crust with about a tablespoon of sugar. If the dough has warmed up while adding the top crust, or the oven isn't fully preheated, place the pie in the refrigerator for a few minutes before baking.

Place in the hot oven and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the crust is a nice golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Placing a sheet pan or layer of foil below the pie makes for easier cleanup in case the filling bubbles over the edge of the pie. It's likely the edges of the crust will begin to burn before the pie is fully cooked, so adding a crust guard, or covering the edge with strips of foil will prevent it from over browning.

Let the pie cool to room temperature before slicing.