Pick your own strawberries and make an easy Strawberry Rhubarb Pie recipe.

I met my sister for lunch last week and she immediately handed me a piece of paper and said "You need to write about this recipe."  The recipe came from her friend Lisa and was for Strawberry Rhubarb Pie.  So I agreed to try it, as June is the month here for fresh strawberries!

If you haven't picked your own fruit or vegetables before, I strongly suggest that you try it.  Take the kids and their friends.  Go with another family.  I'd advise you to go early in the morning or late in the afternoon in order to avoid the blazing sun.   There's a satisfaction that you get from picking your own.  We see the term "farm to table" on a daily basis.  This is the epitome of that term, as your own hands have actually plucked the fruit off the plant and your own vehicle has driven the freshly picked fruit to your own kitchen.  No middle man necessary.

While I have no idea who Lisa is, she makes a fabulous pie and I'm happy to share it with you!

Begin by making a two crust pie crust.  I use Betty's recipe, as I have for the last 35 years.  Don't let pie crust get the best of you.  It doesn't have to be perfect; just tasty.  Cut 2/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons of shortening into 2 cups of all purpose flour mixed with 1 teaspoon of salt.  Continue until you have particles the size of peas.  Sprinkle in water, 1 teaspoon at a time until all flour is moistened.  Divide into 2 balls and roll into 2 pie crusts.  Line an 8 inch pie plate with one of them.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Cut rhubarb into pieces that are less than 1/2 inch long.  You'll need 3 cups of cut up rhubarb. 

Set aside and cut up strawberries.

Lisa calls for 2 cups of "sliced" strawberries.

Gently combine strawberries and rhubarb.

Mix 1 1/3 cups of sugar with 1/2 cup of flour.  Put half of the strawberry rhubarb mixture in the pie plate and sprinkle with half of the sugar and flour mixture.  Do not mix.

Add the rest of the strawberry rhubarb mixture and sprinkle with remaining sugar and flour mixture.  Dot with butter.  I used about 2 tablespoons of butter.

A pie crust tip:  Fold your crust in half, then in half again.  It's easier to place it on top of your pie before baking when you do this.  Gently unfold and press edges together.

My mom always crimped her pie crust between two fingers.  Pressing the edge with a fork is another decorative way of finishing the edges.  Cut slits or use the fork to poke holes in the top of the pie for venting.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until pie crust is golden brown and juice is bubbling out of the slits.

The delectable sweetness is evident as soon as you cut the first piece!

This is my husband's favorite pie flavor so he took a double piece for breakfast!