June 9th is (unofficially) National Strawberry Rhubarb Pie Day! Rhubarb is actually a vegetable, most often confused for a fruit and is an excellent source of calcium, manganese, vitamin C, vitamin K, fiber and antioxidants. This hardy cold-weather plant grows abundantly in New England and it’s rumored that National strawberry Rhubarb Pie day began
in Maine as well. 
Rhubarb has been documented to have been grown in Maine since the 1790’s when a gardener obtained a root stock from Europe.
Having grown up in Maine, as kids we frequently snatched stalks of fresh rhubarb from the neighbors yard and dipped the ends into little saucers of sugar, happily munching away on the wonderfully sweet-tart, juicy treat.
Make your own Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
5 medium stalks rhubarb, cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 1/2 cups white sugar
3 1/2 tablespoons Dry Instant Tapioca
1 Tbs flour
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Pie Crusts
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
Combine the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar, tapioca, salt, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg until the fruit is well coated. Line a pie plate with a raw pie crust. Pour filling into the crust and dot with butter. Cover with top crust, seal edges and cut 2-3 small slits in top of crust to allow steam to escape, or if you prefer a fancier looking pie, create a lattice top.
Bake pie at 425 degrees F for 20 minutes.
Reduce temperature to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Let pie cool before cutting.
Enjoy these other Rhubarb Recipes:
© Can Stock Photo Inc. / msheldrake
